In collaboration with Beirut-based gallery Mission Art, Urbanist Art Gallery presents Immigrant, a solo exhibition by prominent Syrian artist Adel Dauood. On display are his powerful and thought-provoking paintings that blur the lines between abstraction and realism, expressionism and surrealism. The exhibition will be open to the public until 28 April 2025.
Dauood works primarily with two mediums: oil and acrylic on canvas, and ink or coal on paper. His canvas pieces are often large-scale, bursting with bright colours and layered textures, while his works on paper are smaller and lean into simplicity with softer, more muted tones.
Dauood’s artworks, at once abstract, surreal, and deeply tangible, brim with intriguing images. Sharp-toothed and multi-eyed beings with long limbs; humans, various fragments, and evocative shapes — all wait to be discovered and interpreted by viewers. Dauood believes that the message in his paintings and drawings is subjective: not fixed but fluid and emerging in the space between the beholder and the work.
When it comes to portraits, Dauood does not capture specific individuals. He portrays shared human emotions and existential experiences. Each figure he paints is imagined during the creative process: an embodiment of feeling, memory, and inner life, rather than a likeness of someone real. His paintings are, in essence, portraits of humanity.
While the sources of Dauood’s inspiration are global, his art carries the weight and intensity of a life shaped by the turmoil in Syria. Every artwork tells a story of conflict and calm, of loss and resilience, woven together with a singular voice.
About the artist
Adel Dauood (b. 1980, Al-Hasakah, Syria), who left his home country in 2014 and moved to Vienna (Austria), studied Fine Arts in both Al-Hasakah and Damascus. He has displayed his works in numerous exhibitions and art events, such as Art Fair Copenhagen (Gallery V58, Denmark, 2024); Unspoken Memories (solo) (Gallery Chase Contemporary, New York, USA, 2021); Pushing Paper: Contemporary Drawing from 1970 to Now (British Museum, London, UK, 2019); Carthage Festival of Contemporary Art (Kaleemat Gallery, Tunis, Tunisia, 2018); and Beirut Art Fair (Samer Kozah Gallery, Lebanon, 2017), among others.
Dauood’s artworks are part of several prestigious collections, including STRABAG Kunstforum (Vienna), the Vienna Museum, Museum Universalmuseum Joanneum (Graz, Austria), the British Museum, and the Barjeel Art Foundation (Sharjah).
To get more information about Immigrant, please go to the official web page of the Urbanist Art Gallery.
In addition, you might be interested in visiting Unraveling, Huda Lutfi’s solo show.
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