Tammam Azzam, Studio, Berlin
Born in Damascus, lives and works in Berlin, represented by Kornfeld gallery
Tammam Azzam (1980) graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Painting, in Damascus, in 2001. He also participated in numerous training workshops, supervised by prominent painters, notably the late German-Syrian artist Marwan, who became a huge influence in his career.
Initially working in mixed media, Azzam found himself looking for new ways to create art and express his feelings about the loss of his home country. He began to focus on the depth and tragedy of the destroyed cityscape that used to be home to so many people.
His Syrian Museum series of work attracted viral attention in 2013 when he used graphic design as a tool with which to overlay photos of destroyed buildings with European master paintings, such as Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss. Using acrylic, collage or mixed media, Azzam has also created works depicting the skeletons of buildings, showing their monumental destruction.
In 2016 Azzam moved to Germany, with a residency at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Delmenhorst. In Delmenhorst and later in Berlin 2019 the artist began exploring a new technique in paper-collage alongside his paintings. His fragmented compositions highlight the physical remnants of conflict and showcase the importance to rebuild and create from destruction.
Tammam Azzam’s works have been shown in exhibitions in the Middle East, Europe and the US, e.g. at Ayyam Gallery in Dubai, at Art Dubai and Untitled Miami as well as at Haines Gallery San Francisco, which also presented him successfully at the Armory Show in New York in 2018. His works can be found in renowned institutions such as the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah, the Atassi Foundation or the For Site Foundation in San Francisco.