Semaan Khawam

Semaan Khawam is a self-taught multifaceted artist and works as a painter, sculptor, and graffiti artist inspired by everyday life in the city where he lives. Khawam uses his work to draw attention to political contradictions, social injustice and other unpleasant aspects of reality. In 2012, he painted the silhouette of a soldier on a wall in a famous neighborhood of Beirut, Gemmayzeh, to remind the inhabitants of the Lebanese Civil War, which he believes has been forgotten. His arrest as a result sparked a debate on the boundaries of freedom of expression and creative expression, gaving great impetus to his artistic message.

Born in Damascus, Syria, in 1974, Semaan Khawam currently resides in Beirut, Lebanon.