The Artist Who Chose Athens

Jamal Joratli is a Syrian-born contemporary artist whose work moves between East and West, combining personal memory, cultural heritage and an international artistic outlook.

Although his career has taken his work to exhibitions across the Arab world, Europe and Asia, Jamal chose to live and work in Athens, Greece. In an interview with iefimerida, he described Greece’s natural light and cultural atmosphere as central reasons for making Athens his home. iefimerida.gr

His artistic practice is highly experimental. Jamal works with a wide variety of materials and has even created award-winning work using olive-based materials. His career has also included exhibitions, television appearances on Arabic channels and international recognition beyond Greece. iefimerida.gr

One of the strongest themes in his work is the Silk Road. After years of travelling to China and studying Xi’an, Jamal developed a body of paintings inspired by the ancient route that connected China with the West. His works bring together figures, movement, memory and cultural symbols drawn from different civilisations. iefimerida.gr

His Silk Road collection was later exhibited at the Dalian Modern Museum in China, following its earlier presentation at the Benaki Museum in Athens. The paintings include references to the Terracotta Army, Asian theatrical traditions and some of Jamal’s most recognisable motifs, including horses. iefimerida.gr

Through these works, Jamal continues to explore the relationship between Greece, the Arab world and China, creating contemporary art shaped by travel, cultural exchange and a lifelong commitment to painting.

Source: iefimerida, 1 December 2018.