“Bold Souls”… first solo exhibition by Syrian artist Sara Shamma at the Dulwich Gallery in London

In the worlds of the paintings of the “Old Masters,” the international Syrian artist Sarah Shamma delved into a historical journey to capture the “precious” and revive it through her paintings in her exhibition “Bold Souls,” currently held at the prestigious “Dalwich Picture Gallery” museum in London, to be the first Arab painter to hold a solo exhibition in This museum.

The exhibition includes a new group of Shamma’s works inspired by specific paintings from the museum’s historical collection, which focused on female characters, as she sought to enter the souls of these women, and connect them with episodes from her private life to retell their stories for contemporary viewers.

Each of Shamma’s paintings offers a powerful and stimulating interpretation of the works of artists including Rembrandt, Peter Lely, Anthony van Dyck and Peter Paul Rubens, exploring identity, death, motherhood and unexpected beauty in these works that demonstrate her highly artistic expertise as a painter, as well as her long-standing appreciation and her exceptional exploration of the works of the ancient masters.

The exhibition which will last until February 25, 2024, allows, according to artist Shamma, the largest number of visitors from all cultural backgrounds the opportunity to see it, explaining that preparations for its establishment lasted two years of continuous work.

Regarding the importance of the Galich Picture Gallery Museum in the field of global fine art, Shamma said: “The museum, which was founded in 1811, was the first painting gallery open to the public that was built for this purpose in the world, and the museum owns a collection of paintings by ancient masters such as Rembrandt Rubens, Canaletto, Lily, Busan, and others, which is considered one of the most important art groups in Britain.”

It is noteworthy that the fine artist Sarah Shamma, born in Damascus in 1975, graduated from the Department of Painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Damascus University in 1998, while Shamma’s works focus on death and humanity which she expresses mainly through portraits and children drawn in a profound way.

Leen Al Salman