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Akil Ahmad

Painter

Origin | Syria
Currently located | Lebanon
Languages | Arabic, English
Key themes | Arabic calligraphy, Arabic musical ‘Maqams’ 
Media | Calligraphy, poetry, music, acrylic, ink and paper, live performance

BIOGRAPHY

Akil Ahmad graduated from the Faculty of Fine arts in Aleppo and currently lives in Beirut, Lebanon. His passion for Arabic calligraphy began at a very young age and to date he has held two solo exhibitions in Beirut: "Maqamat" and "Fi Hadrat Al-Harf" at Dar El-Nimer for Arts and Culture.
 
He has participated in several other exhibitions worldwide and his artworks can be found in private collections in Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, USA, Austria and Ireland.
 
Akil’s artworks are based on Arabic musical ‘Maqams’, which mean place or position, and converts them from their audio pattern to an optical pattern. He explains, "When I hear a voice inside of me, I try to hold all these moments of ecstasy and invert them into a letter, a word, an optical language.” Akil searches for an optical modern language for the letter. He is also interested in researching ink compositions and natural paper manufacturing.
 
In Dubai 2018, he was awarded the Al-Burda Prize, and participated in Sharjah Biennial 2016 "Noqta" in addition to Bahrain Art 2015 and most recently Beirut Art Fair 2017.

SELECT WORKS

RECOGNITIONS

• Global Burda Award, Dubai, 15th Round, First Prize Award Winner, 2018
• Global Burda Award, Dubai, 13th Round, Fifth Prize Award Winner, 2016​

PAST EXHIBITIONS

Solo Exhibitions

• 2018 Fatina Al Sayed and Dar Al Funoon Gallery, Kuwait (The Forty Maqamat of Love)
• 2017 Interactive Exhibition Culture ”في حضرة الحرف” In the Presence of the Letter at Dar El-Nimer  for Arts (maqamat) in Souk Althhab Gallery, Solidere, Beirut
• 2015 City Theatre, Nuha al-Radi Hall in Beirut

​Group Exhibitions

• 2019 Art for Al Balad, charity auction in Saudi Arabia
• 2017-2018 Beirut Art Fair
• 2015 "Art Space Hamra" Gallery,  Beirut, "Art Fair, Bahrain," "Art on 56th" Gallery
• 2014 International Contemporary Beirut Art Fair in "Artheum" Gallery, Beirut
• 2008, 2009 & 2010 The Annual Exhibition in Damascus, Artistique Gallery Doha,Qatar
• 2014, 2016-2018 Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
• Several exhibitions in Aleppo University and the Arab Heritage Institute
  
  

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