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| Born near the ancient town of Maaloula to the north of Damascus in 1967, Helal›s rural upbringing was scarred by conflict. A graduate
of the University of Damascus Faculty of Fine Arts in 1991, Helal went on to establish a distinctive Modernist style that continues to develop. With layer upon layer of color infusing his grid-like canvases, the meaning of Thaier Helal›s work is left to the viewer to decipher. The texture and tension amid the rigid abstract structure of each piece belies an ambiguous nature that challenges the eye. In his paintings there is a universe of repetition, things change but are the same. Contraction then distention, attraction then rejection. The linguistic divergences made Thaier conclude that painting was not the sole language of expression. He therefore divided his painting into sections. He turned it out into a language with endless differences by using many mediums. A veteran of three consecutive Sharjah biennials and winner of the golden award at the 2005 Tehran International Biennial, Helal has been a member of the UNESCO International Association of Art for the past 11 years. He had exhibited across the GCC, as well as Ayyam Gallery Damascus, Italy, Belgium, Egypt, Iran, the USA and Basel, and had also accomplished a set of installation artworks in the UAE, Egypt, Bangladesh and Romania. Since 1997, he has been based in the UAE, where he lectures in College of Fine Arts and Design, University of Sharjah. Helal›s works can be found in several private and public collections including Sharjah Museum of Modern Art, the UAE Ministry of Culture and the Syrian Ministry of Culture. |