The exhibition will celebrate one of the most influential figures from the contemporary art scene.
This summer, Christie’s London will shine a spotlight on one of the Arab world’s most profound contemporary voices with Marwan: A Soul in Exile, the third edition of its annual Arab Art Exhibition. Running from 16 July to 22 August 2025, the exhibition pays tribute to the late Marwan Kassab-Bachi, a Syrian-born artist whose introspective work bridged East and West with poetic intensity.
Curated by Dr. Ridha Moumni, Chairman of Christie’s Middle East and Africa, the exhibition gathers over 150 pieces from across Europe and the Middle East, including paintings, drawings, and works on paper, all on loan from major institutions and private collections. The non-selling show offers a rare chance to explore Marwan’s deeply expressive career, which spanned more than six decades.
Born in Damascus in 1934, Marwan moved to Germany in the 1950s, where he became a key figure in the contemporary art scene. Drawing on German expressionism, his work delves into Arab identity, displacement, and human rights, often through a lens of mystical introspection influenced by Sufi poetry and pan-Arab consciousness.
At the core of his practice are his facial landscapes, portraits that dissolve the boundaries of face and form, morphing into undulating topographies. These haunting images serve not only as mirrors of inner emotion but as metaphysical explorations of the human condition.
Dr. Ridha Moumni said: “It is an honour to host the third Arab Art Exhibition at Christie’s London this summer, dedicated to the singular vision of Marwan Kassab-Bachi. Marwan was a profoundly original artist whose deeply moving and distinctive work, shaped by his Syrian heritage and artistic journey in Germany, redefined the portrait as a space for psychological exploration and aesthetic experimentation. Widely regarded as one of the most important Arab artists, Marwan reinvented portraiture through a meditative, introspective practice, and established himself as one of the leading artists of the contemporary German art scene.”
Marwan: A Soul in Exile is free to attend and offers Londoners a powerful window into one of the Arab world’s most important modern artists.
GO: Visit christies.com for more information.