Nasha'at Al Zuaby

Nasha’at Al Zuaby realises the world spiritually and contemplates it with extreme tranquillity, aspiring his conscience to recognise only the essence of matters, and then starts painting when this overall scene completely vanishes from his memory. The artist tries to re-shape the world through the impact of memory without any direct simulation. He achieves works that are emotionally charged within an optical composition that doesn’t focus on tiny details, instead capturing his interest in depicting the beauty of the scene’s spiritual and emotional aspects.

As part of his graduation project from Damascus’ Faculty of Fine Arts in 1964, Al Zuaby created the piece featured here, The Bathers, which throws light on underground baths in his Syrian hometown Hama, where soft light penetrates from the thick crystal domes and blends with the water fumes. The artist tackles the scene employing a solid academic approach and uses graceful lines, along with a unique palette of fresh colours, to embody his main objective: washing the spirits rather than the bodies.

After Damascus, Al Zuaby studied oil painting in Cairo, and helped establish the Fine Arts Association and Arab Artists Federation. His artworks have been featured in many museums and private art collections.