Maaloula 1969

Louay Kayyali made this painting of Maaloula with a muted palette, sometime before 1978. It's a tumble of dark and light, and the way the buildings stack up, it feels like a precarious balancing act. I wonder what it was like for Kayyali to paint this place? It feels like he's really feeling for the forms, tentatively marking them out like a sculptor might, building a world from tone and texture. There’s a real sense of touch in how he applies the paint, like he's caressing the buildings into being. He's part of the painting, I can feel him there. That dark line outlining the buildings gives them definition but also flattens them somehow. It's a simple gesture, but it speaks volumes. It feels like Kayyali is in conversation with other painters across time, absorbing and transforming their ideas in his own unique way. Painting is just that, an exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. It's about embracing ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations and meanings.