Born in Aleppo in 1972, self-taught artist Nihad Al Turk’s work focuses on the existential crisis of the individual caught up in power struggles between good and evil. Based in Beirut, Al Turk situates his work against a backdrop of literature and philosophy, painting a recurrent cast of mythical demons, outcasts, and antiheroes. Concerned with capturing the psychological dimensions of the self, his works have been read as allegorical self-portraits that explore existential questions that grapple with notions of good and evil and the position of man therein. Speaking of Turk’s expressive mixed-media works Maymanah Farhat states: ‘Although his art frequently possesses autobiographical details, his subject matter is not specifically Syrian. Nor does it refer to that which is presumed to be exclusive to the Arab experience.’ The artist has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions including Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice (2015); Ayyam Gallery Al Quoz, Dubai (2014); Ayyam Gallery DIFC, Dubai (2014); Ayyam Gallery London (2014); Ayyam Gallery Beirut (2015, 2014, 2011); Ayyam Gallery Damascus (2009); the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Damascus (2009); Park Avenue Armory, New York (2008); Mark Hachem Gallery, New York (2008); and the Latakia Biennale (2003), where he was awarded the Golden Prize.
