Hrair Sarkissian
Hrair Sarkissian (b. 1973 Damascus, lives London) is widely considered to be one of the leading artists working with conceptual photography today. After foundational training in his father’s famed photo studio in Damascus, Sarkisian’s work in large-format photography has evolved into expansive installations encompassing sound, moving-image, installation and sculpture. His recent survey exhibition, The Other Side of Silence was presented at Sharjah Art Foundation, UAE, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm and The Bonnefanten, Maastricht, earning him a nomination for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize.
Here, Omar Kholeif invited Sarkissian to reflect on a body of work that he has not shared publicly. Known for scarcely revealing the likeness of the body in his work, Sarkissian at first described this work as akin to nature’s automatic purge, a June drop, a wind fall, or rather a transparency, a necessary composition that paved the way for his next twenty years. Below, he offers readers a brief reflection.
