Spectrums

Artists: Mohamed Yousef Dayoub
Exhibition Title: Spectrums
Exhibition Date: 6/1/2009

Download the original attachmentIn this personal exhibition, I dedicated a special occasion to celebrate Damascus as a chosen capital for the Arabic culture in 2008. During my residence in Abu Dhabi , I have been influenced and aspired to produce a creative mixture of the present visions and those spiritual shadows that have been dwelt in my memory. Far from realistic methods of painting, my new works were, to a certain degree, aspects or features of symbolism. This denotes that I was haunted by dreamlike visions of the places floating within my memory rather than the places themselves.
However, my approach to deal with a special process of colours was deeply affected by prenotions of search, whether by means of technique or through discovering new trends of colours. In addition to Damascus and its ardent visions which are still alive in my memory, there are many other cities and places which keep warm corners within my heart. When I try to draw a piece of art related to a certain dwelling or any place, a lot of nice reminiscences and shadows would come along in my mind. Ma'loula is the most important place I had ever known in an early stage of my professional life. Although I have not visited it since 1982, I still keep in mind very dear features of that rich experience; I had, then, a very inspiring opportunity to participate in an Art Camp which had been held in that special paradise of the soul. Notwithstanding the grave changes and destructions which the town has gone through because of the trading obsession of the new style of life and building, I try to keep its old beauty shining in my mind as vivid and alive as I saw it once before.
The most important question in this experience is that I did not abandon the way of treating the faces which I consider crucial in my works. Although they are few in this exhibition, the place symbolism overwhelmed those faces which I dedicated a special hall to display them in. Another hall was dedicated for my old works to link between what I had been and my new experience. The Visions Exhibition at Ghaf Art Gallery is completely the outcome of my new experience. In this exhibition, only 9 paintings, out of the 51 displayed works, are old; yet they are all implied the same artistic theme.
Most of the works are displayed for the first time. As a new experience, I sought to show a sense of astonishment and a passion for the place and its psychological influences. I specify here the old houses of which I am so fond that their magic captures my feelings and guide me while I am drawing. This is a special kind of mystic relationship between human beings and the place; it might be only found in the East.