Nazir Ismail was born in Damascus, Syria, in 1948. A self-taught artist, he won the 3rd prize at the exhibition for Young Artists in Damascus in 1971, the Graphic Prize in Berlin in 1980, and the 3rd prize in the Sharjah Biennale in 1996.  Ismail’s works consist of drawings and paintings, using pastel, ink, watercolor, and oil. His style is expressive and surrealist, mainly portraying human figures, roosters, and portraits. He blends figuration and abstraction to convey his emotional and psychological state through his earthy colors and symbolic lines, addressing themes of confusion, anxiety, and loss. Ismail also creates religious-inspired works as well as paintings tackling contemporary issues of Syria. The artist passed away in 2016.

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