A GLANCE
INTO MY WORLD

BIO & ARTIST DNA

A Syrian-born entrepreneurial business man and artist who splits his time between the gulf region and Canada, Yazan Orabi is no stranger to cosmopolitanism. Indeed, it is a defining motif in his life and work, a melding of cultural perspectives and influences from East and West that has greatly influenced his art. His work explores the often-blurred interface between reality and illusion,with a style that resists easy categorization. His expansive artworks adorn private collections in the Middle East, Europe and North America.

“To know my art, you should know me”. Orabi’s deep personal attachment to his work is evident in his approach to his craft and his fierce independence. Unusually for an artist, he avoid displaying his work at normal atmosphere exhibitions, preferring instead the more intimate setting of a private viewing. He believes every artwork deserves to be appreciated in-depth, rather than be lost amidst a collection, viewed only momentarily by visitors flitting from one painting to the next. Before a painting changes hands, he first builds a relationship with his patrons, seeking out their opinions on it. He often draws on this interaction between the artist and his audience as a source of inspiration. Quiet and introspective, he prefers to listen, and let his art do the talking.

The luxury art of orabi’s paintings utilizes the abstractions of the human form, especially female. Yet the viewer is always drawn deeper and invited to bring their own unique interpretation to the work. Orabi’s openness to different, often conflicting perspectives, is evident in his approach to how the art is displayed. His paintings are often constructed in an omni-directional manner, viewable from any angle, with each shift in orientation opening up new viewpoints.

Orabi’s body of work celebrates life in its entirety, while placing womanhood at its center. Multiple narratives interweave in each artwork, presenting layer upon layer of meaning. Another recurring motif is the duality of illusion and reality and an exploration of their boundaries -where does one end, and the other begin? Indeed, he believes reality is an illusion; it is a construct, one that is deeply subjective.This is why he seeks out meaning beyond the surface.

An avid traveler who has lived and worked in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America, Orabi draws on the energy and traditions of multiple cultures. He is a believer in the ability of art to bring opposing worldviews together. His work often navigates through a landscape of conflicting cultural norms and taboos. This mix of contradiction and paradox evident in our society informs the individual’s perspective and is reflected in his art, which does not seek to present simple statements or provide easy answers. Orabi remains fearless in his pursuit of understanding and follows where the muse takes him, regardless of the consequences.  To him, art is both meditation and therapy, a way to drown out the relentless noise of the world and its ever-increasing distractions.