“Repeated contemplation of specific objects in the world has always been an artistic fixture. Claude Monet’s Haystacks is a celebrated example, and Kobayashi Kiyochika’s Before Taro Inari Shrine is a less-analysed, though no less worthy, instance. Both examples are relevant to a thorough consideration of Walid El Masri’s paintings… Like the host of artists before him who used objects to explore forms of expression rather than perfect their depiction, Walid El Masri has never settled on a specific style or method in his paintings. His work is an ever-shifting experiment in density and technique, of which each of his paintings and works on paper features a variation. These variations relate to different stages in the creation of an artwork, which endows his oeuvre with an enthralling freedom.”
Anas Al Horani,
TrendArt/Trend Magazine
b. 1979 Damascus , Syria of Lebanese origins
The artist lives and works in Paris, France
Education
2005 Faculty of Fine Arts, Damascus, Syria
2001 Certificate of Mosaic Training Damascus, Syria
Residencies and Workshops:
2007 “Damascus Photography Days” event, at the French Cultural Center, Damascus,
Syria
2005 “Discovering Modern Art” workshop, Paris, France
2005 “The Colors of Damascus” workshop Ricerca e Cooperazione, Syria and Italy
2005 Workshop with the artist Ziad Dalloul at Darat AlFunun, Amman, Jordan
2004 Workshop with the French Artist Pierre Balas, Damascus, Syria
2003 Workshop with the German artist Francesco Fendlez, Damascus, Syria
2003 El Masri attended the Summer Academy with established Syrian artist Marwan
Kasab Bachi at Darat AlFunun , Amman, Jordan.
He also participated in various other workshops.
