UNITED KINGDOM: Kurdish-Syrian artist Lawand shows the eeriness of human loneliness and despair through an emotive set of paintings and drawings currently on show at London's The Mosaic Rooms

Record ID: 276540

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Kurdish-Syrian artist Lawand shows the eeriness of human loneliness and despair through an emotive set of paintings and drawings currently on show at London's The Mosaic Rooms
  • Date: 6th October 2013
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 3, 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF THE MOSAIC ROOMS GALLERY SPACE CLOSE ON SIGN OUTSIDE GALLERY WRITTEN IN ENGLISH, READING: "LAWAND EQUINOX From Beirut to London. Recent paintings & drawings by the Syrian artist" VISITORS LOOKING AT ART WORK INSIDE GALLERY MAN STANDING IN FRONT OF PAINTING VISITORS LOOKING AT PAINTING OF FACE HANGING
  • Embargoed: 21st October 2013 13:00
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  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA9O4GJPXWFR94ULYBOL5JPU8UE
  • Story Text: Floating into space with hands drooping softly to the sides of faceless, elongated figures, a series of haunting yet emotive paintings by Syrian born artist Lawand is now on show at The Mosaic Rooms in London.
    The eeriness of human solitude and despair reflected in the work is almost brought to life as the paintings hang across the walls of the gallery's main exhibition hall.
    The artist says his work is not about humanity's anguish, but it is about something more optimistic.

    "I see the loneliness and pain, but at the same time, I see hope," Kurdish-Syrian artist Lawand told Reuters TV during the show's opening on Thursday (October 3).

    "In a way I see that if you want to talk about life, you have to address death in order for life to be more prominent. I find there is hope in my work in spite of its ruthlessness, pain and sadness," he added.
    Born in Aleppo, Syria to a Kurdish father and Syrian mother, the now 28-year-old artist moved to France with his parents when he was 10-years-old.
    Currently residing in Lille, he has travelled the world exhibiting his paintings, but has never forgotten his roots.
    The artist reflected on the Syrian crisis in which more than 115,000 people have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad started two-and-a-half-years ago.

    "I hurt a lot for my country because what's happening is not normal and it's very distressing," he said.

    "I hurt in the same way the whole world should be hurting for Syria," Lawand added.
    His debut show in the United Kingdom is titled, "Equinox, From Beirut to London" and features a series of paintings and drawings he produced during a two-month stay in the Lebanese capital during the summer of 2013.
    The drawings are on display in the gallery's lower-ground floor with a hand written dedication by the artist written on one wall.

    "I made these 63 drawings in a state of great paralysis this July in Beirut," the statement reads.

    "Today, this paralysis is that of the entire world. Paralysis of meaning. Paralysis of thought," it continues.
    The series is due for release on October 19 in a book titled "Effigies" produced in collaboration with award winning poet Pascale Petit.

    "I see that art now is more of a struggle than something that can be politically effective," Lawand said.

    "My work is engaged, but it's not political. It addresses humanity in general, it's not triggered by a certain event, to the contrary, I feel that the work I do precedes any occurrence," he continued.
    With an artistic vision influenced by a mix of his Middle Eastern heritage and Western upbringing, the artist's work has been exhibited throughout Europe. He has had recent shows in France, Italy, Belgium and Switzerland as well as artistic collaborations on art book projects with poets including renown Syrian poet Adonis.
    Rachael Jarvis, the head curator of The Mosaic Rooms, said the artist's work provides a fresh window into the Middle East and provides gallery visitors with an alternative perspective to a region widely portrayed in conventional media.

    "Beyond his heritage is a Syrian artist whose work is very timely considering all the changes and unrest that are happening throughout the region," she told Reuters TV.

    "Lawand is a new, exciting, young artist and though his work, he doesn't say is directly related to the crisis in Syria, you can feel kind of a haunting background in it and I think that will interest new audiences and it's a good opportunity to showcase it now," Jarvis added.
    Lawand's exhibition is part of the 2013 Nour Festival of Arts, a contemporary art event highlighting work from the Middle East and North Africa.
    His show at The Mosaic Roomson November 29, 2013.
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