NOW AND TEN

which Fateh expressed in most of what he
produced. Later when he was to marry, tragedy
would also strike when his two children passed
away leaving him profoundly devastated.
The fgurative representations in Moudarres’
oeuvre come from two straits of his unconscious;
combining his childhood memories with those
of his homeland. Fateh’s childhood had a strong
impact on his life and art, infuencing him more
than it did others, as if it had always been with him
in many forms. Although time and his travelling
experience shaped, refned and at times changed
him, childhood was his main theme from beginning
to end, disappearing at times only to reappear
again stronger.
Fateh Moudarres, Untitled, 1980. (Christie’s Dubai, April 2013; price realised: US$315,750.)
© Christie’s Images Ltd. 2013
Undeniably one of the most intriguing and
captivating life journeys in both Syrian Modern
history and Levantine art movements, acclaimed
artist Fateh Moudarres’ distinctive signature
continues to dazzle, charm and inspire all those
who come across his works. Throughout his
long and prolifc life and career Fateh Moudarres
managed to create a school of artistic thinking and
expression in himself. The richness and diversity
of his experience not only in fne arts, but in poetry
and writing as well, remain an inspiration to the
generation of Syrian and Arab artists of today,
particularly in the multiple and meticulous means
of expressions he adopted to present his thoughts
and ideologies. Few subjects defne his oeuvre;
his personal life tragedies, Modern Arab politics
and ideologies and ancient Civilisations. A main
witness of the development of the Modern Arab
age, Moudarres’ was clear in his choices and his
positions, siding with the oppressed and the poor,
expressing himself, indirectly, through his painting.
With a developed aesthetic that was rooted in
the region, despite his exposure to Western and
international schools of art such as in Italy and
France where he studied, Moudarres continued to
use the heritage of his native homeland to create a
distinct style that is quintessentially his.
Moudarres’ father was brutally killed when the
artist was less than two years old. Although it
happened while he was still rather young, this
event left a deep impact on him and whenever
his childhood was recalled, Moudarres used to
consider the killing as a turning point in life. This
had an important impact on his formation and
perspective on life, explaining certain aspects
through his painted compositions. Forced to
relocate to Aleppo from the rural village of Harita,
where he had felt safe with the refuge of his
mother’s care, Moudarres would in turn hold very
dear the memories of his native surroundings and
incorporate them into his works. As a result, many
of his paintings shift back and forth between
themes of martyrdom, crucifxion and departure,
Fateh Moudarres, Untitled, 1967. (Christie’s Dubai, October 2010; price realised: US$374,500).
© Christie’s Images Ltd. 2010
Besides childhood and death, the artist was
infuenced by the turbulent events in the region;
the French occupation, the Palestinian question,
the Lebanese Civil War and the downfall of Pan
Arabism and Arab Nationalism. As a witness to
the unravelling of these events, Moudarres would
take the opportunity to use his visual expression
on canvas to imply his political expression
through metaphor. In intricate depictions of rich
tapestry-like compositions of captivating faces
as if fragments of mosaics, Moudarres would
re-appropriate mythological subjects harking back
to the archaeological traditions of the Canaanites,
Aramaic and Assyrians that are present in
Palmyra, Mari, Ibla, Maaloula and Saidnaya, into
political satire which thus became elements of his
staggering success.
Christie’s is proud to present a seminal work by
the artist from the 1980s that shows the artist’s
mastery and craft in shaping what has become
an art history rich with deep rooted symbolism.
One of the few rare works by the artist of this
size and scale, it exemplifes the artist’s ability
to delve into thousands of years of civilisation to
rewrite a new chapter of history whilst creating
a modern visual language. Much like the world
record for the artist at auction, Untitled from 1967,
which achieved $374,500 at Christie’s Dubai in
October 2010 and Untitled from 1980, which
achieved $315,750 at Christie’s Dubai in October
2013, a sea of faces fll the expansive canvas in
a dense and powerful multi-layered composition.
Although confned within the boundaries of his
canvas, as if huddled in unity, the fgures he uses
employ a sort of psychological tension through
their solitude, rendering them simultaneously
mysterious, monstrous, ambiguous, naïve and
expressive, oblivious yet knowledgeable, profane
yet mythical. Using thick black lines that are
reminiscent of Mamlouk Damascene architecture,
Moudarres creates an amalgamation of faces
in a totemic fashion - yet another reference to
Assyrian architecture; some hinted at faintly in the
background, others prominently coming to the fore
of the composition. Despite their strong presence,
upon closer view, one realises that although their
eyes may in some cases remain open, their mouths
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