Born in Al-Hassaka, Syria in 1972, self-taught artist painter Sabhan Adam has developed a highly recognizable style of figurative painting that captures the darker side of man. And yet despite the heavy content of his canvases, his work remains widely popular. As such he has exhibited throughout the Middle East and Europe and is represented by both regional and international galleries.

Adam's paintings have been featured in several recent auctions in the Gulf. With grotesque faces, distorted frames and piercing eyes, his protagonists leap out from the canvas with a startling visual agility. Adam once explained the frequent appearance of this peculiar subject by stating: "The figures I paint have so many thinAyyam Auctions...