Rabee Kiwan

Rabee Kiwan (b. 1984) is a Syrian artist who received his B.A. in Fine Arts from Damascus University in 2008. Kiwan has lived and worked in Beirut and Paris and now divides his time between Dubai and his hometown of Suwaida in Syria. Since 2017, he has also been working as an art instructor at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Damascus University.

Kiwan’s abstract figurative work focuses on the tumultuous human experience. Earlier in his career, his work was inspired by various events he witnessed and lived through. Over the years, however, he transitioned to abstract art, finding a balance between the subtlety of conveying an emotion and the freedom to use color, shape and form. Working on canvas, Kiwan uses acrylic and oil paints as well as mixed media, incorporating fabrics and other materials to create rich, textured pieces. Recently, Kiwan began working with ceramics, exploring the use of sculpture to translate his distinctive human figures to figurines. 

Kiwan has had several solo exhibitions, including at Fann Á Porter in Dubai (in 2022 and 2023) and Mark Hachem Gallery in Beirut (2013) and Europia Gallery and Lab 44 in Paris (2016). He has also participated in 12 group exhibitions across Beirut, Damascus, Amman, Bologna, Washington, D.C., and London between 2009 and 2019, including notable venues such as Beit Beirut (2019), Orient Gallery (2014), and the World Bank (2014). Kiwan has also participated in numerous art fairs, include VOLTA Art Fair (2025), Abu Dhabi Art (2023), and Art Cairo (2022 and 2023).