This piece was written by Hala Khayat – special advisor for Arts & Culture at Art Dubai – as a guest article.
Ten days ago, amidst the vibrant pulse of Manhattan’s art scene, I had the privilege – alongside two fellow art enthusiasts – of visiting the Chelsea studio of Kevork Mourad, a dear friend from our shared homeland and my grandparents’ city of Aleppo.
This visit was part of a personal cultural and artistic expedition through New York, coinciding with the city’s numerous spring art fairs. Kevork, a Syrian-Armenian-American artist, has long been a beacon of cultural synthesis, weaving together the rich tapestries of his heritage with contemporary narratives.
From New York to Beirut
Some of the main works in the studio were already wrapped, ready to be shipped to Beirut for Kevork’s upcoming solo exhibition at Galerie Tanit. Titled Imaginary Homeland, the show will run till the 3rd o fJuly 2025. This exhibition is a tribute to both the traumas of exile and the resilience of memory and identity.
Highlights from the NY Studio
We were welcomed by a warm, smiling and gracious Kevork, who prepared coffee for us himself. His studio was immaculate and thoughtfully arranged to receive professional visitors. A rich body of work filled the space; pieces from different exhibitions and phases of his career, each telling a distinct story.
One striking piece was a suspended installation resembling a boat, crafted in layered fabric and adorned with faces that reflect a range of identities: Romanian, Greek, Arab, Armenian faces. This symbolic work evokes the exodus of Syrians by sea, a haunting reminder of displacement, loss, and hope. The suspended structure felt like a theatrical prop, yet profoundly sacred.
It brought to mind Kevork’s monumental installation Seeing Through Babel, a six-meter hanging sculpture created in 2019. This work was part of a solo exhibition at The Ismaili Centre in London, presented in partnership with the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. The installation reimagines the Old Testament story of the Tower of Babel, using visual imagery to connect people across language divides. Visitors could walk in and around the structure, exploring its compartments, each representing different languages, emphasizing the unifying power of visual art over linguistic barriers.
The Fabric of History
Kevork’s work is a testament to the resilience and richness of both Armenian and Syrian cultures. I can also see in this new body of work a touch of a new American culture being added with the use in moderation of the blue jeans as a layer.
His primary medium is ink, which he handles with mastery; fluid black lines flow across his papers and canvases like rivers, channeling stories both ancient and new.
Another key medium is intricately cut fabric. Using scissors as his main tool, he carves out meticulous, lace-like patterns reminiscent of Eastern European textiles. These cutouts, often painted in monochrome with accents of amber and, more recently, real gold and silver leaves, possess a sacred, almost liturgical quality. The resulting compositions, hanging cities with overlapping buildings, streets, and homes, form vibrant, contemporary tapestries that evoke ancient civilizations.
The Essence of Kevork Mourad
Kevork Mourad’s artistic practice is not confined to the stillness of static works. He is also renowned for his performance art, often collaborating with musicians to create live, improvised visual compositions that unfold in real time. One such collaboration is Home Within, a sixty-minute audiovisual performance co-created with Syrian composer and clarinetist Kinan Azmeh. In this work, art and music develop in counterpoint to each other, creating an impressionistic reflection on the Syrian revolution and its aftermath.
I was privileged to witness this performance in Dubai, where Kevork’s live drawing intertwined seamlessly with Kinan’s clarinet melodies. The experience transported us on a magic carpet ride to another bygone time, evoking deep emotions and a profound connection to our shared heritage.
Ultimately, Kevork’s oeuvre is a rich tapestry of history, culture, and emotion. His works are more than artistic expressions, they are vessels carrying the layered memories of civilizations that have witnessed both unimaginable suffering and immeasurable beauty. From ancient times to the present, from Aleppo to Manhattan, Kevork Mourad continues to offer new readings of our shared and complex heritage.
Visiting his studio was not just an artistic experience, it was a journey through memory, legacy, and the creative power of reinvention.It was a new reading of our intertwined shared heritage.