ATAXIA

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Exhibition Dates: 12th - 21st March 2020


Curator: Tarek Tuma

Artist: Nour Zantah

 

In the English language, “Ataxia” is a medical term referring to the loss of full control of bodily movements.

“ATAX|A” is a body of paintings that examines the experiences of Syrian subjects who have endured physical and psychological devastation. Rendered mute by the inability to express themselves discursively, these figurative paintings offer an alternative medium through which to reflect and configure both trauma and loss.

“ATAX|A” exhibits a series of testimonial paintings that have in various ways been inspired by media and online images of the war in Syria. These paintings transcend barriers of language, race, age and nationality, provoked by images and representations of war and violence. These paintings bear witness, albeit from afar, to the torments experienced by Syrians, both in war-torn Syria itself and in the diaspora.

 

Nour Zantah: is a London-based artist who was born in Homs, Syria, in 1989. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Damascus, in 2011, and a Master’s Degree in International Contemporary Art & Design Practice from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Malaysia, in 2014. Currently, she is completing her Ph.D. in Fine Arts, focusing on painting, at The University of Northampton, United Kingdom. Nour has exhibited her paintings worldwide including in Syria, Algeria, Jordan, and the UK.

Following the start of the Syrian revolution, Nour instinctively began to focus her work on the subject of violence and war, exhibiting a particular interest in the aesthetic and expressive qualities that can be achieved while depicting violence, and the complex interactions and inspirations arising from how artists respond to modern media images of violence. Through complex collages of images from the Syrian revolution, interspersed with painting, Nour’s work offers an immersive and troubling experience that reveals the deeply emotional and personal impacts of war.


Tarek Tuma: is an artist, art educator, and art curator currently based in London. He completed a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts at the City and Guilds of London Art School. Tarek holds a post-graduate diploma in Fine Arts from London’s Art Academy, where he was awarded a First-Class Honours degree. Tuma came to art with a background in medicine, which he studied at Damascus University, where he had his first solo exhibition. Tarek leads to curatorial and art-workshop projects in the UK and internationally.


Press Information: For further exhibition information, press images and interview opportunities, please contact P21 Gallery at info@p21.org.uk, or contact at: tarektuma@hotmail.com

 

 



The exhibition is supported by the Art Council England and HUB Collective.