Bassel Saadi

Rethinking traditional materials so prevalent in Arab sculptural practice, such as marble, wood and bronze, is because, Bassel Saadi explains, he “wanted to create works that were technically good, but made out of a ‘poor’ material with great potential…It was very much about questioning how we, in the Arab world, value an artwork.”

Born in Beirut, Syrian artist Bassel Saadi (1971) studied at the Institute of Applied Arts in Damascus. Originally modelled in paper, his sculptural origami-like forms are then transposed into steel. Under the weight of the metal, they still carry the lightness of the original paper medium. Saadi uses primary shapes, colours and even playful polka dots to break the flatness and stillness of the work. Arranging the shapes as assemblages, he plays with their composition and colour, sometimes even enlarging them to become monumental public sculptures.

Bassel Saadi has shown his work in Amman, Berlin, Damascus, Dubai, Enschede and Paris. He has given sculpting workshops internationally and is the recipient of numerous awards from art festivals.