Ayyam Gallery to open in London and Jeddah

Syrian independent art space Ayyam Gallery is to open branches in London and Jeddah this year, seeking to showcase Arab talent for a wider audience

Located on Bond Street in the heart of London, the UK branch of the Syrian Ayyam Gallery will open its new premises on 25 January with a solo exhibition entitled 'Shooting the Cloud', by Lebanese artist and architect Nadim Karam. Another branch of the Syrian organisation will open in Jeddah on 6 February.
Karam will display his new public art and work in urban regeneration through a series of paintings, "rich in colour and presenting a playful, almost satirical, perception of love and war," according to the press release. Furthermore, the opening will include Karam's 'Urban Toys', his latest edition of iconic steel sculpture works.
The Ayyam Gallery branch opening in Jeddah next month will feature a totally different theme. It will include a group art exhibition, showcasing paintings by some of the region's most exciting and relevant young artists, including Mohannad Orabi, Abdul Karim Majdal Al-Beik, Oussama Diab, Walid El-Masri, Nihad Al-Turk and Mouteea Murad.
Ayyam Gallery was founded by Khaled Samawi in Damascus in 2006 and ever since has been keen on reviving Syrian art. Today it stands as a “leading cultural voice in the region,” according to its profile, with art studios and galleries across Damascus, Beirut, Dubai, and now London and Jeddah.
Ayyam Gallery also owns the Shabab Ayyam Project, a non-commercial exhibition project for funding and supporting young Arab artists, in addition to Ayyam Publishing, which aims to showcase the work of Middle Eastern artists and to bring them to a wider global audience.