“There are some people I met at the exhibitions who said 'I don't understand it, but I feel it.' That's what's important for me.” Anyone can see and understand the drawings and the message, even if they know nothing about art. “It's not intended to be complicated art or high-level thinking. “It's more digestible and dear to the readers because it takes them back to the nostalgia of their childhoods maybe, and it's all about emotions they can easily understand,” he says. Through a host of characters who traverse the challenges of an imaginary land called The Watermelon, he spins whimsical tales with deeper meanings. Known for his cartoon style resembling children’s drawings – from scribbled line work to contrasting bright colours – Kurdieh’s visual storytelling tackles issues of war, migration and politics through simple symbolism. “I use these characters to try to express human feelings – joy, sadness, depression, hope, and the conflict between a person and their inner self.”īorn in Aleppo, Syria in 1985, Kurdieh now lives and works in Aamchit, Lebanon, where he has resided since 2013. There is sadness who is represented as the Whale, who hides behind the Butterfly and there's Cactus who can take the shape of a house or a heart,” he explains, naming the cast of many stories. “There is the Mouse, who believes nothing is impossible. Syrian artist Majd Kurdieh's retrospective exhibition in Hamra, Beirut, showcases about 100 artworks created between 20. He always struggled with his heart and there's so many conversations between the two – one is big and strong, the other small and fragile. There's the elephant with a fish for a heart. “The Donkey is the King of The Watermelon and he has the Watermelon Crown. For example, there is Fasoon and Fasoonah, who are very important, poetic characters, for they are the Knights of The Watermelon,” Kurdieh tells The National. Running until June 26, the exhibition showcases about 100 artworks created between 2014 and this year, displaying several series from different stages of his artistic career. His recently opened retrospective exhibition, presented by Fann A Porter in collaboration with Lebanese art platform Zaat, in Hamra, Beirut, puts this into sharp focus. Syrian artist Majd Kurdieh's distinctive style has changed subtly over the past decade, but what remains at the core of his work is storytelling and emotion, highlighted by the childlike characters he uses across all his works.
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