Youssef Youssef

Biography

Born 1979 in Syria, Youssef Youssef gained a BA in Fine Art from the Adham Ismail Institute for Fine Art in Damascus. Since graduating, he has participated in various exhibitions including with Boushahri Art Gallery and Tajalliyat Art Gallery in Kuwait, Beirut, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, and Cairo.

Known for his distinctive style and use of acrylic on canvas, his portrayal of women and children’s faces is ominously stark and devoid of explicit expression. By restricting himself to a solemnly limited colour palette, he emphasises simplicity to evoke the elusive nature of the significance behind his work. In painting on large-scale canvases, he submerges his audience within the tranquillity and dream-like essence of his subjects. The childlike quality of his paintings, characterised by innocent gazes, further enhances this feeling of ambiguity, and prompts us to ponder the secrets concealed behind their gaze.