Requiem for a City

Born 1943, Amman

The beginning of Fayoumi’s artistic career coincided with the emergence of a school of Syrian abstraction led by Guido La Regina, an Italian painter who worked with students at Damascus University. Though born in Jordan, Fayoumi attended the university’s College of Fine Arts, where she worked alongside Assad Arabi, Faek Dahdouh, and Sakher Farzat, all, like herself, key figures in Syrian art’s critical transition from realism to more contemporary forms of abstracted representation. Fayoumi made her first mark on the regional art scene with a solo show in Damascus in 1966. Her early work focused on street views and architecture, veering into abstraction in its treatment of space and form, while her more recent work often features mythical figures or female forms. Inspired by Arabic poetry, Fayoumi layers her imagery to convey an emotional connection to it, ultimately imparted through her choice of colors, gestural marks, expression, and tone. A series of solo exhibitions of Fayoumi’s work were presented at Ayyam Gallery in Damascus (2008, 2010) and Beirut (2011).

Requiem for a City is a poignant tribute to Jerusalem, masterfully composed with bold contrasts of red, black, white, and blue. Created in the aftermath of the 1967 War, it captures the city’s enduring vibrancy and resilience, each hue resonating with the weight of history and hope.