Marwan Sahmarani

Born in 1970 in Beirut, Lebanon, Marwan Sahmarani studied at l’École Supérieur d’Art Graphique in Paris, France. His oil paintings are known for their explosive colour and frenetic brushworks. Initially attracted to surrealist figure distortions, his style developed into abstraction, blending Arabo-Islamic culture with iconography and Western styles. Feeling like he owed his socio-political milieu, Sahmarani’s work deals with the chaotic effects of war and individualism. He has held numerous solo shows in Beirut, London, Montreal and Dubai, and group
exhibitions in Washington and Mexico. In 2012 he was exhibited in Contemporary Lebanon in the show “Art Beyond Violence”,
Singapore Art Fair (Lebanese Pavilion). In 2010, he was awarded the Abraaj Capital Art Prize.