Khaled Almaz – an artist
of the nineteen sixties
Latakia, Damascus, Cairo, Paris …
These cities which all have different natures, formed the roots and supports of his artistic experience which started in the 50’s. In his early stage he was influenced by the impressionist school dominating the Syrian atelier. Afterwards, his experience had crystallized and was polished through the academic atelier in Cairo.
Khaled stood faithful to the Cairo atelier. He was a first class painter and constructor of well balanced structures, where he gathered the space with the construction, the reality with the dream, and the sensitivity of feelings with strong performance. Through this path, he would strike the majority of subjects: scenery, silent nature and portrait. During his career, he was touched by the impressionism and abstract art schools, but at the end he stood faithful to the instructions of his maturity period from the Cairo ateliers. He was attracted by the women of that genre. He made them the main subject of his paintings which looked like a traditional poem, and a kind of romantic lyricism honoring beauty and happiness in life, or prayers resembling pagan recitals praising the human body.
He painted the woman in her intimacy, at home wearing her makeup in front of the mirror, or in a romantic way full of peace and contemplation.
Khaled Almaz kept on giving through his long experience, until he became like a skilled jeweler immersing his creatures and the elements of a wonderful mosaic including the local atmosphere as well as signs and symbols forming the spatial features of the painting’s structure, and giving figures in their local identity and belonging.
Nazir Nabaa – Damascus.
