19 - TAYSEER BARAKAT (PALESTINIAN, B. 1952)

TAYSEER BARAKAT (PALESTINIAN, B. 1952) Untitled Signed in English 'Barakat', in Arabic 'Tayseer Barakat' and dated '2014' in lower right Mixed media on canvas 158cm x 121cm Born in Gaza, Palestine in 1959, Tayseer Barakat graduated from the University of Alexandria in 1983. Upon his return to Palestine, he moved to Ramallah where he became an artist and a teacher. He works primarily in paint, inks and dyes. His colour palette is often limited to a monochrome palette, which imbue his works with a sober tone. Barakat believes that the use of dark colours ‘reflects the hardships of our time and our present life, and the pressure imposed on us makes us use dark colours’. He co-founded the 'New Visions' artistic collective (where he was joined by fellow Palestinian artists Sliman Mansour, Vera Tamari, and Nabil Anani) during the First Intifada (1987-1993). Barakat continues to be heavily influenced by the environment where he grew up, which is reflected in both his subject matter and the variety of media he works in, including wood, metal and glass. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner.