Syrian artist Safwan Dahoul is one of the leading contemporary artists of the Arab world, and has been a mentor and a huge influence on the next generation of artists. Over the last three decades he has been mapping the changes taking place within him and in the region through his ‘Dream’ series. The central figure in these haunting, monochromatic paintings, all titled Dream, is a pensive, solitary woman, who is the observer and the narrator of everything that is happening in the artist’s life and around him. Through her, he has explored the physical and psychological effects of the alienation, loneliness, loss and longing that are part of the human experience.
In his early works this figure had hollow or closed eyes and seemed to dwell in an inner universe far away from the real world. But in later series she emerged from her cocoon and opened her eyes to observe the reality around her and reacted to it emotionally. Dahoul sometimes depicted her as a winged angel watching over the world. The changes in this character reflect the changing situation in Syria, and the changes in Dahouls’s own life, from the loss of his wife to his move from Damascus to Dubai after the escalation of the conflict in his country.
His latest body of work, ‘Still Dreaming’ sees several changes both in the narrative and the aesthetic of the series. The artist has released his figure from the desolate landscapes of Syria, and placed her in ambiguous settings, showing her wading through a fog-covered sea, caught in a heavy downpour, almost upside down on a swing, or floating in space.
Although his palette remains monochromatic, the colour scheme has been reversed. The paintings now have a flat white background, while the figure appears in various tones of grey illuminated with soft highlights. The figure also looks larger and more muscular now, and sometimes even mechanical. The paintings are also much larger in size, with several monumental mural like works.
The paintings convey a deep sense of sadness and helplessness. In one painting the figure seems to be assembled together like a mechanical toy as she contemplates a dark universe with vacant eyes. The dark universe with our galaxy, the Milky Way also appears in other paintings, perhaps as a reminder that we are all connected on a cosmic level, but divided by manmade borders. A recurring motif in the paintings is a tiny paper boat, which symbolises the mass exodus from Syria and the suffering of the refugees.
“We see pictures of the boats with the refugees arriving on the shore, but there are so many that sank, which nobody knows about. We talk about the boats, but what about the stories of each person on those boats and the circumstances that forced them to make the perilous journey. As a child I would make paper boats and feel happy, but these are the paper boats that have changed Syria forever,” Dahoul says.
In the largest painting in the show several figures are seen wading through the water, delicately holding on to strings attached to boats floating in the dark water. While some of the figures have their heads bent in despair, others are looking ahead with hope. In another work, the figure appears as a guardian angel watching over the boat and keeping it safe. These figures suggest that, while the flat white background in these melancholy paintings could be a symbol for a burial shroud and mourning, perhaps it also alludes to light emerging from the darkness that earlier enveloped the figures, holding out some hope for the future.
“White is the colour of life and optimism, as well as the colour of death. Painting the Dream series is like writing my memoirs. The woman in my paintings represents me, and she is changing because I have changed with time. But I leave it to viewers to interpret the works based on their own experiences and emotions,” Dahoul says.
Still Dreaming will run at Ayyam Gallery Dubai in Alserkal Avenue until May 21.
Jyoti Kalsi is an arts-enthusiast based in Dubai.
