Ola al-Ayoubi


23 February 2014

Born in Damascus 1973, Ola al-Ayoubi is a portrait artist who studied mathematics at the Faculty of Science and art in Damascus.

The outbreak of the Syrian uprising had a profound effect on the artist's artwork, which introduced noticeable figurative and symbolic elements to her paintings. Pomegranate as a symbol of blood and storks that refers to migration and alienation.

Ola had more than just talent to guide her through, her artistic eye was able to turn the things she witnessed throughout the uprising into a heart-throbbing scene: Hair flying up in the air that resembles the lives that are ascending to the sky, piercing eyes that reflect the fear, strength and confusment that she noticed in the eyes of Syrians.

Ayoubi who currently lives in Kuwait, belongs to the school of impressionistic-realism, which manifests itself through her thick strokes of paint that capture the essence of the subject, rather than its details.

The character of the “clown” occupies a perpetual space in the artist's paintings, who represent “the cynicism and deception that we are constantly exposed to as Syrians.” Ayoubi explains, “At other times the clown is gloomy, it's an unstable and volatile character that is a fine example of the Syrian situation and its nature.”

Syrian mother and daughter, a painting by Ola al-Ayoubi. Source: The artist's Facebook page.
Syrian mother and daughter, a painting by Ola al-Ayoubi. Source: The artist's Facebook page.

The artist uses a different set of colors in her portraits, but the foundation is acrylic, and although she didn't allow the uprising to be the main-space content on her art's expense, she admits that the memory of the martyrs and the once beautiful Syrian cities that turned into rubble are imprinted deep in her mind, “Any art exhibition I will conduct, will contain the pain and agony I feel.” she articulates.

The revolution means the world to the artist, it's the dream of every Syrian, the pursuit of freedom and dignity to get rid of a redneck regime. Ola on the other hand aspires to see the Arab world as a whole, free of dictatorship, because “countries belong to their people and they are not any person's property.”

Portrait:

- Born in Damascus 1973

- Bachelor of Mathematics fro the university of Damascus

- Diploma in educational qualification from the university of Damascus

- Studied art at the institute of Adham Ismail

- Teaching in Kuwait while working as a painter

- A full-time artist and participator in multiple exhibitions.

Exhibitions:

- Joint exhibition at the Russian Cultural Center - Damascus 2004

- Adham Ismail Alumni Exhibition - The Ministry of Culture – Damascus 2005

- Sixth festival of the Arab youth of Fine Arts - the Ministry of Culture - Damascus

- International Flower Show - the Ministry of Tourism - Damascus 2004

- Peace Sea and Culture Gallery UNESCO club - Greece 2006

- Festival of teachers and learners - Kuwait 2007

- Sana'a Forum Exhibition - Yemen 2008

- Damascus Spring Exhibition 2008

- Gallery House in Dar Abdullah Arts 2008

- Joint exhibition hall in Kuwait - Boushahri 2008

As well as other exhibitions in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

This work is under a Creative Commons license. Attribution: Non commercial - ShareAlike 4.0. International license

Illustation by Dima Nechawi Graphic Design by Hesham Asaad