In our divided and
polarised world, who, but artists, can conjure up the possibility of coexistence between
cultures, ethnic groups and religions?
Born in 1966 in
Aleppo, George Baylouni fled to France during the war. And now his work builds
bridges between the East and the West, and the past and the present.
Fascinated by the
ancient civilisations of Mesopotamia, he studied their mysterious artefacts and
texts, written in ancient cuneiform. He paints religious symbols
and makes collages, adding gold leaf, his trademark, telling a tale of ancient worlds and
of contemporary times. Uniquely, his
paintings combine religions, with several pieces focusing on both Christianity
and Islam in the same painting.
His work has been
showcased prominently in the Middle East and Europe and he was named one
of the 100 most important personalities in the Arab world in 2014 by Arabian
Business Magazine.
”Symbols of
Humanity”, Baylouni’s first exhibition
in London, opens at the Stories Art Gallery in Mayfair on October 17
and runs until November 17.
Baylouni's exhibition marks the first anniversary of Stories
Art Gallery, which features
renowned and upcoming artists from around the world, many from war-torn
countries, and focuses on the stories behind their artwork.
If you have a chance, do see the exhibition and meet gallery director, the wonderful Manas Ghanem, who was born in Damascus, then educated in the West. Before opening her
gallery, she worked as a lawyer in the Middle East and North Africa with
UNHCR and Unicef.
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