Shasheet is a painter and printmaker based in London, UK. He studied Fine Arts in his hometown at Damascus University. Shasheet left Syria in 2011 to pursue an MA in International Contemporary Art in Malaysia. He explored Asian art and culture in Kuala Lumpur and Penang while working in design, fine art and art education until his move to London.

Shasheet’s diverse body of artwork has a strong visual vocabulary that includes painting, printmaking, and mixed media. He has won critical acclaim for his ability to portray feelings and emotions with the use of solid graphical abstract compositions and lines on the canvas.

Strong and bold forms on the artworks’ surface reflect an expression of “the feelings of everyday life” its events, and its challenges. Using mixed media such as sand, cement, charcoal, pastel, pencil, gesso, varnish, shellac, Chinese ink and acrylic paint, Shasheet creates a rough surface with a variety of textures and details that can be observed once one looks deeper into the artwork.

Inspired by his background in printmaking, Shasheet uses blacks and greys to hold the composition. The background is full of small childish lines and scribbles that embody a philosophy of contrast and create a sense of balance and harmony in the artwork. As Shasheet sees it, black is strong, elegant, direct, pure and clear, with a striking visual element which one can see immediately; but is hard to control, so the artist’s role is to give it value and balance with the right contrast.