NIDHI KHURANA
In this episode during a visit to his Beirut studio, Marwan Sahmarani discusses with Founder Tamara Chalabi his artistic practice; what and who inspires him; […]
Sahmarani vividly displays a powerful freedom of gesture, imbuing the canvas with a raw energy that radiates intense vibrancy. Within this artwork, figures seamlessly integrate into the abstracted landscape, where the carefully curated colour palette and rich texture emerge as defining elements. The pronounced impasto introduces a tactile dimension, encouraging viewers not only to observe but also to physically engage with the artwork.
Marwan Sahmarani (b. 1970, Beirut) lives and works between Beirut and the small Mediterranean mountain village of Tarbena, Spain. His textured paintings of powerful, robust brushstrokes, thick layers of paint and vibrant colours, serve as a poignant reflection of Lebanon’s enduring political turmoil. Sahmarani looks to the cyclical patterns of violent history in the Middle East, his works pure expressions of violence, through gesture and movement. Recent landscapes are more mediative in character, and yet share a monumental, pure elemental force.
Marwan Sahmarani has had several solo and group exhibitions in Europe, North America, and the Middle East, and was a winner of the Abraaj Group Art Prize in 2010.
