Safwan Dahoul's Monochromatic Bodies Navigate Confined Spaces at Ayyam Gallery

Syrian artist Safwan Dahoul's exhibition 'The Eye: An Aperture Into the Soul' at Ayyam Gallery presents a series of monochromatic paintings and works on cardboard that explore the relationship between the human figure and spatial constraints. The show features works like 'Dream 290' (2025), where a solitary folded figure with wing-like forms suggests both flight and restraint. Dahoul's figures adapt to cramped environments, pressing against canvas edges, as seen in 'Dream 287' (2025) and 'Dream 281' (2025), where toes protrude beyond the frame. Geometric structures and rigid borders contrast with fluid bodies, while smaller framed works isolate female figures with intense gazes. Brown wooden frames and corrugated cardboard introduce materiality. The exhibition runs until 4 July 2026.