Friday 1st August, 3:30 — 4:30pm : Marwan: A Soul In Exile – Guided Tour at Christie’s

Christie’s invites members of Shoreditch Arts Club to a special guided tour of the Marwan: A Soul In Exile exhibition, a major retrospective of the Arab Master of Figurative art.

Marwan: A Soul in Exile will celebrate one of the most critically acclaimed and influential artists whose work and mentorship have profoundly shaped the contemporary art scene. Marwan Kassab Bachi – known as Marwan – is renowned for his explorations of figuration, particularly his facial landscapes, which go beyond traditional portraiture and act as metaphysical gateways to the universal facets of the human condition.  Christie’s will exhibit over 150 works on loan, spanning paintings, drawings, works on paper, and editions, from leading museums, institutions, and prestigious private collections in Europe and the Middle East, presenting a comprehensive survey of the artist’s six-decade career. 

Curated by Dr Ridha Moumni, Chairman, Christie’s Middle East & Africa, Marwan: A Soul in Exile is a non-selling exhibition, tracing Marwan’s extraordinary path, from his early figurations of the 1960’s to the haunting marionette series and his iconic facial landscapes, where the human face becomes both mirror and terrain.  The retrospective will bring together works covering Marwan’s artistic practice from the beginning of his artistic practice in Syria, together with works that chart his life in Germany. 

Born in Syria, Marwan (1934–2016) moved to Germany in the late 1950’s, first to Berlin and later to Dresden.  Combining two distinctly different worlds, Marwan was influenced by German expressionism and the Neue Wilde artists, whilst at the same time retaining his Syrian identity by responding to Arab political struggles and human rights issues. 

8 King St, London SW1Y 6QT

For members of Shoreditch Arts Club only. Please RSVP by contacting the team via email.

MARWAN (1934 – 2016) HEAD | Executed in 1975-1976 | Image © Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE

Members have access to all events in our programme.