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Posted On: October 31st 2025, 01:01 pm
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Painter. Pioneer. President’s Daughter.
Stepping into the art and antiques-filled apartment of veteran Syrian artist Hala Al-Kouatli in Dubai feels like going back in time. She is, after all, a woman of history, whose story is not as well-known as it should be.
Born in Damascus in 1938 into a family of five children, Al-Kouatli became the first woman in the Syrian capital to host an exhibition of paintings in 1961. She also happens to be the daughter of Syria’s first post-independence president, Shukri Al-Quwatli, who ruled the nation twice. He instantly recognized his daughter’s artistic talent and supported her arts education abroad.
Her cosy home in Dubai is warm and tasteful, embellished with objects of refined Syrian craftsmanship, fascinating family photo albums, paintings of her father, old press clippings, and some 100-year-old pieces of furniture that belonged to her ancestors. She hopes to one day showcase her works in her homeland. “Inshallah, we will all return to Syria,” she said.
In honor of Al-Kouatli’s new and exclusive interview in @admiddleeast, we are delighted to share a fresh selection of the artist’s images at home.
Words: @byrawaatalass
Photography: @abdul0202jam
#halaalkouatli #syria #damascus #interiors #womeninart #art #arthistory
Stepping into the art and antiques-filled apartment of veteran Syrian artist Hala Al-Kouatli in Dubai feels like going back in time. She is, after all, a woman of history, whose story is not as well-known as it should be.
Born in Damascus in 1938 into a family of five children, Al-Kouatli became the first woman in the Syrian capital to host an exhibition of paintings in 1961. She also happens to be the daughter of Syria’s first post-independence president, Shukri Al-Quwatli, who ruled the nation twice. He instantly recognized his daughter’s artistic talent and supported her arts education abroad.
Her cosy home in Dubai is warm and tasteful, embellished with objects of refined Syrian craftsmanship, fascinating family photo albums, paintings of her father, old press clippings, and some 100-year-old pieces of furniture that belonged to her ancestors. She hopes to one day showcase her works in her homeland. “Inshallah, we will all return to Syria,” she said.
In honor of Al-Kouatli’s new and exclusive interview in @admiddleeast, we are delighted to share a fresh selection of the artist’s images at home.
Words: @byrawaatalass
Photography: @abdul0202jam
#halaalkouatli #syria #damascus #interiors #womeninart #art #arthistory
Comments (32)
6 months agorima_tachwaly
May God have mercy on my father, Abdul Latif Al-Dashwali. He was a friend of His Excellency President Shukri Al-Quwatli, may God have mercy on him, and he drew a beautiful picture of him in the book "Mirrors".
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