Over the years, Bassem Dahdouh has shifted styles and subjects, as he reacts to his environment. He explains: “In my paintings there are no taboos. I always try to make it an adventure for the soul as I believe in the non-static nature of art.”
Born in Damascus, Bassem Dahdouh (1964) studied at the Adham Ismail Center and graduated from the Department of Painting, Faculty of Fine Arts, Damascus University. In Egypt, he received his PhD from Helwan University in 1999, after which he taught at and then became Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, International Arab University in Syria.
In his earlier years, Dahdouh focused on abstraction, expressively painting still lifes on canvas. Using flattened surfaces and perspectives, his still lifes showcase his textured brushwork and use of subtle colours. When the Syrian war broke out, he felt compelled to change his painting to reflect the human suffering around him, so he began to paint figures, still in his abstract style.
Dahdouh has held exhibitions in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Kuwait, Turkey, Bahrain, Iran, Canada, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Italy, and the UAE at venues such as the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris and the 52nd Venice Biennale. His works have been acquired by the Syrian Ministry of Culture, Egyptian Ministry of Culture and Sharjah Museum and are held within private collections.