Khaled Takreti, French-Syrian artist
From Syrian origin, born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1964
Lives and works in Paris, France
Khaled Takreti is a leading Syrian artist whose Pop aesthetic has influenced a subsequent generation of contemporary Arab painters. Originally trained as an architect at the University of Damascus, he began exhibiting his work in the mid 1990s. Recognized for his innovative approach to portraiture, which merges a personal narrative in the form of a visual diary with explorations of the modern social image, he introduced a painting style that was without precedent in Syria.
His large-scale compositions explore the psychology behind his subjects through a style that unifies the art of portraiture with a refined sense of conception. Initially inspired by familiar relationships, his recent works question the possibility of creation, while his home country is surrendering to chaos. With his more recent production, Takreti refocuses the creative process on a global critical statement, anchoring in the stereotypes of modern consumerist societies, recreating a link between Syria, the global world and himself, in a mockery to portray a life facing its imminent disaster.
Based in Paris since 2006, Takreti has exhibited internationally in solo and group exhibitions and has been featured in biennials and art fairs such as the Alexandria Biennale and Art Hong Kong. His works are housed in the Syrian National Museum, the Jordanian National Gallery of Fine Arts, and Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, among other private and public collections.
His recent exhibitions include collective exhibitions at Musee de la Palmeraire, Marrakech (2014); the Gwangju Museum of Art, South Korea (2014); Institut des Cultures d’Islam, Paris (2014); Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha (2011); and Villa Emerige, Paris (2011). In 2012 Takreti was named among the top 101 greatest living artists in France by Art Absolument.
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