Khaled Dawwa, Untitled sculpture, terra cotta

They are a group of young ladies from “La Maison rouge” and they became interested in Syrian artists who took refuge in Paris in 2011 and 2012. Ola Abdallah, Paula Aisemberg director or La Maison rouge, Dunia Al-Dahan, Véronique Bouruet-Aubertot, Pauline de Laboulaye, Randa Maddah and Véronique Pieyre de Mandiargues have created an association around Syrian artists in France. This is their first show together at Galerie Premier Regard, with a sculptor, Khaled Dawwa, a painter, Monif Ajaj and a video artist, Dino Ahmad Ali.

Moni Ajaj paints the Authority

All artist are graduates of Damascus University of Arts. Monif Ajaj, who is slightly older (born in 1968), has studied in Bielorussia at Minsk Academy as well. He has already exhibited in Amman Dubaï and Damascus. His paintings are both powerful and very refined. He uses watercolor as well as oil.

Khaled Dawwa, Untitled sculpture

Khaled Dawwa uses earth mostly for his very striking sculptures of important men and unimportant “people”. The opposition of Authority and People is his privileged theme and his ink drawings are as brilliant as his strong sculptures of seated men. There are approximately ten of his sculptures in the show.

Dino Ahmad Ali, Video

Dino Ahmad Ali shows a fascinating video of water destroying a sand sculpture of a chair. It is about Authority (the chair) and People (the sea). It is the long and patient destruction of his country that he refers to and when the sculpture disappears entirely in the sea after four minutes, one can start crying. He studied at the University of Paris 8 where he completed a doctorate on ” The conception of visual information and the spectator’s role in an interactive optical illusion installation”. He also does installations and photography as well as kinetic art.

Khaled Dawwa, drawing

It is hard to say whether Khaled Dawwa describes prisoners in his drawings or love. But his multiple arms embracing each other are very powerful.

When you enter the gallery the first impression is of drama and gloom. And little by little, the strength of the paintings and the sculptures selected by the artistic committee becomes obvious. These artists have gone through so much suffering that each one of their work is gripping.

These seven women have brought Syrian artists together with Paula Aisemberg, director of la Maison Rouge, Dunia Al-Dahan, Véronique Bouruet-Aubertot,  Randa Maddah, Véronique Pieyre de Mandiargues and Pauline de Laboulaye

All works are for sale from 500€ to over 2 000€ at Galerie Premier Regard, 10 rue Humblot, 15 th, from Thursday to Saturday from 12.30 to 6.30 pm until November 17 th. Or by appointment at any time. On November 21 another group of Syrian artists will show until Christmas.

“Premier regard” is a non profit gallery

Next March 1,  there will be a seminar on Syrian artists at Ecole des Beaux Arts, an exhibition at Malakoff cultural center in 2019 and an event at Institut du Monde Arabe in 2021 where there is right now an exhibition on Palmyre and other lost cities.