BIOGRAPHY - SUMMARY

Thaer Maarouf was born in Shahba, Syria in 1972. He studied at the Lebanese University in Beirut, he holds a Master’s degree in fine arts from the Lebanese University in Beirut, Lebanon.

His work has been featured at several collective exhibits in Dubai , Lebanon, Syria, France and Austria, as well as at solo exhibits in Damascus, Lebanon, Singapore, Philippines , London, Holland and Austria and he features in the permanent collections of Middle Eastern museums; USA and Singapore.

His work is noted for its use of symbolism to highlight human rights issues in the Middle East, as well as the conditions of the displaced populations affected by the regional upheaval in the Levant.

Thaer Maarouf's art has graduated to touch the post-modern stage.
He embraces a wide array of techniques and artistic mediums, forging a strong connection of the present time with the early days of conceptual art.

In Maarouf's work, the idea becomes the primary objective, overshadowing the traditional notion of the artwork. Creating meaning or a mysterious message, and the analysis of the concept becomes central. In this context, the creative process represents a crucial bridge between the initial idea and the eventual realization.

In his subsequent experiments, we witness a repudiation of artistic traditions and an attempt to break free from social and cultural restrictions, aiming to refocus on the content, as well as to integrate art with life. Thaer Maarouf encourages us to question the very essence of art itself.

The project entitled Dirty Messages, is highlighted as a remarkable example of conceptual art. The artist sent packages with shoes and handwritten letters to world leaders, drawing attention to the plight of refugees and migrants. The responses to the project became a tangible part of the artwork, a document of the project ́s impact. The melting of the artwork into an abstract idea precisely reflects the spirit of conceptual art.

In his later artistic works, Thaer Maarouf introduces faces that break free from the monotonous constraints of traditional pictorial logic. He aims to create a parallel world. “I only experience true freedom when I am breaking the realistic standards of things. It ́s not a conscious act. It is those faces that invade my imagination and insist on me to bring them to life.”

As the artist's imagination is filled with experiences in conveying reality, he creates his own reality. For Maarouf, being free and feeling the ecstasy of creation, is the only way to destroy logic and reality without causing harm to anyone.

Thaer Maarouf's artistic work embodies the spirit of research, experimentation, and exploration of the unknown. Each blank canvas means a new adventure to him, a beginning with unpredictable consequences.