Born in Damascus in 1991, Noor Bahjat lives and works in the United Arab Emirates. She graduated with honors from the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Damascus, and in 2015 participated in the Young Artist in Residency hosted by Ayyam Gallery, where she began to develop her figurative subject matter. Her expressionist paintings are inspired by artists including Lucien Freud and Francis Bacon, influences that inform her autobiographical reflections and imbue them with a psychological depth. Based on detailed sketches and self-portraits, they include symbolic objects and focus on the human body at moments of transformation. Her latest work explores the weakening relationship between human civilization and nature, owing to the current commercial-driven systems. Bahjat has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Korea, the Philippines, Beirut, and Syria and her works have been acquired by the Barjeel Art Foundation and several private collections. Her first solo show was with Ayyam gallery in Dubai in August 2015, and a year later she held another solo show in Manila, Philippines.
