Rezan Arab arrived at Funen Printmaking Studio in February 2022 and has undertaken his residency over a series of weekends, between February and September. Rezan had previous printmaking experience and decided to focus on working with aquatint and etching. In early March, Rezan presented his work to a group of international students from all over the world, who very much enjoyed having the opportunity to engage with it and be in discussion with the artist.
Rezan's prints draw our focus towards the isolation that marks the immigrant's life and the difficulties arising from it. Describing these works, he notes:
"This series of engraved drawings represent individuals, drawn in an expressive style which is far from reality. There is clearly a lot of exaggeration in these figures. I have tried to express the isolation that I experienced when I first came to Denmark 8 years ago. It was very difficult for me at the beginning because of how different cultures and traditions were. I lived in a state of isolation until I gradually adapted to the situation. Through these works, I am trying to create an image of my isolation by employing oriental compositions and elements that express my culture, a culture that I am trying to communicate to others."
Residency dates: 1st February - 1st September 2022 (only weekends)
Rezan Arab is originally from Syria, but left at the start of the civil war and has been living in Denmark since. Rezan holds a B.A in painting, from Damascus Universuty and a MA in Fine Art, specialising in Painting and Art History, from University of Fine Art, Bucharest in Romania. Rezan was awarded First Prize from the University of Fine Arts, Syria. Since moving to Denmark, Rezan has regularly exhibited his work in Denmark and Sweden.
Image above: Rezan Arab at Funen Printmaking Studio
