One of the founding Syrian modernists, Mamdouh Kashlan’s subject matter depicts scenes of people and landscapes. He explains “I present Damascus through my vision of its noble people and its characteristics... [I’m] consumed with its authentic Damascene life, which is full of sympathy, love and family... you see its houses and alleys intertwined and woven with my affection for it, you see its minarets glorified in their lofty, dignified beauty.”
Born in Damascus, Mamdouh Kashlan (1929) won a scholarship to study art at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome graduating in 1957. He authored many books on art and art education, as well as on the artists Mahmoud Jalal and Louay Kayyali.
Kashlan’s linework and figures have a lively suppleness and energy that pairs with his coloration. He says that the bright and warm colors seen throughout his works are an emotional expression. They “overcome my psychological state and impose themselves even if my mood is bad or I am sad or depressed…”
During his lengthy career, Kashlan has participated in over a hundred international group and solo exhibitions. His work is in private and public collections such as The Palais des Beaux-Arts, Lille; Museum of Modern Art, Cairo; National Museum, Damascus; Dummar Museum, Damascus; Aleppo Museum; Sursock Museum, Beirut; and in museums in Algieria, Tunisia, Morocco, Bulgaria and Monte Negro.