Abdullah Murad

Abdullah Murad (b. 1944) is an award-winning Syrian artist who was born in Homs. He studied at the Department of Painting, Faculty of Fine Arts, Damascus University, graduating in 1970.

Murad is recognised as a trailblazer in the field of abstract expressionist art in the Arab world. Using a painting technique that involves layering different styles and brushstrokes, alongside collaging mixed media onto canvas, he creates asymmetrical compositions that are marked by rhythm and movement, inspired by arabesque themes and rich, fauvist colours.

Experimentation with textures is a hallmark of Murad’s work, which sees him make use of both thick slabs of paint and thin translucent layers. This diverse textural mix forms the basis for his collages, which include newspaper clippings and cutouts, often referencing art history, giving the pieces an additional literal, time-related dimension. 

Commenting on the layering in his compositions, Murad has said: “A painting takes time to reveal itself… It does not reveal its secrets at first glance.”

From interplay between lines and colour, alternation of space and expansion, and studies of balance and imbalance, Murad’s work brims with the tensions that conflict and resolution produce. Emerging, but subtly treated themes include displacement and loss. In an interview, he describes art as being like a dance, saying. “You keep moving and moving to whatever is going on.”

Murad’s work has featured in exhibitions worldwide and can be found in private collections and public institutions, including the Sharjah Museum, the National Museum of Damascus, Dalloul Art Foundation and the Syrian Ministry of Culture, among others.

Recent solo exhibitions include shows at: Art on 56th, Beirut (2017); Galerie Claude Lemand, Paris (2016); Art on 56th, Beirut (2013); Ayyam Gallery, Beirut (2010); and Ayyam Gallery, Damascus (2007).

He has also participated in several group exhibitions, including, most recently, events at: Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah (2017); Art on 56th Gallery, Beirut (2013); Contemporary Art Platform (CAP), Kuwait (2013); Athr Gallery, Jeddah (2012); Ayyam Gallery, Damascus (2007); Syrian British Society, London, UK (2005); Zawaya Gallery, Homs (2004); The High Commission for Refugees, Damascus (2003); European Art, Geneva, Switzerland (2002); and the Sharjah Biennale (1997).

Murad received First Prize from the Spanish Cultural Centre Committee at the ‘Greeting to Miro and Picasso’ exhibition in Syria (1984). He is a member of the Syrian Syndicate of Fine Arts and the Arab Artists Union, and continues to live and work in Damascus.