Farouk Kondakji is an artist celebrated in the middle east for his artworks and constant input into the field. Over the past 40 years of activity in the art world Kondakji continues to prove that paintings can surpass any cultural or linguistic barriers. Reserved by nature unrestricted in his paintings, he does not let the physicality of the medium bind his need to express.
Kondakji's work has been featured in exhibitions internationally, including ‘A salute to Impressionism in Europe’, at the Museum of Damascus، the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai, Qatar national museum and numerous solo shows in Syria, China, Europe and the Middle East. His artworks, including paintings and frescoes, adorn the Saudi French Bank and the National Commercial Bank as well as King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah and King Khaled airport in Riyadh and are part of various museum and private collections in the Middle East.
Along with his artistic practice Kondakji has worked on stage design, has lectured extensively on Ancient civilisations and aesthetic values and consulted for emerging and established art galleries in K.S.A.
Kondakji now lives and works between Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Milan, Italy where he is establishing a new atelier space.
"Farouk Kondakji’s landscapes are rendered with the soft brushstrokes and muted palettes of Impressionism yet surpass the stylised figuration of the modern school by venturing into dense abstraction, as areas of the canvas often progress from identifiable settings to shadowy colour fields or delicately textured expanses that describe the fleeting nature of perception. For the artist, these ethereal scenes serve as realist depictions of how he views reality. Alternating between subtle highlights and dramatic shadows, Kondakji renders a world in which time seems to pass with the implied movement of clouds or allusions to the gentle rustling of trees."
"My paintings are the only photographs that resemble me." - Farouk