Juliet Makhlouf

Overview
Juliet Makhlouf

Juliet Makhlouf (born 1957, Syria) is a Syrian artist based in Dubai. She graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Graphic Department, at the University of Damascus in 1981, marking the beginning of a sustained artistic career spanning more than four decades. She is affiliated with the Syrian Association of Fine Art and the UAE Association of Fine Arts (honorary member).

Makhlouf’s paintings merge scientific precision with poetic expression. Through geometry, repetition, and vivid color, she constructs optical illusions of movement and depth that blur the boundary between two- and three-dimensional space. Critics have noted that her geometric forms convey a sense of human presence—suggesting “crowds” of shapes imbued with individuality, rhythm, and inner life. Themes of continuity, resilience, and cultural memory recur throughout her work, reflecting both her Syrian roots and her transnational experience.

She has participated in numerous regional and international exhibitions. Her early group presentations included the Russian Cultural Centre in Damascus (1981) and the Sharjah Fine Arts exhibitions (1990–1995). Her solo exhibitions have been held at the Westin Hotel, Dubai (2009), Sharjah Art Gallery (2010), Damascus (2011), and the Arabic–Syrian Cultural Center in Madrid (2014). Her 2015 solo exhibition at Meem Gallery, Dubai, marked a decisive shift toward pure abstraction. In 2026, her exhibition Ancestry at Oblong Contemporary Art Gallery revisits heritage and collective memory through over thirty new works.

Still active in Dubai’s art scene, Makhlouf continues to explore the intersection of science, spirituality, and culture through visual form. Her work embodies an ongoing dialogue between Syria’s artistic legacy and the global language of abstraction.

 

Exhibition CV (Selected)

  • 2026 — Admiring Ancestors, Oblong Contemporary Art Gallery, Dubai, UAE

  • 2015 — Solo Exhibition (first Dubai solo show; transition toward geometric abstraction), Meem Gallery, Dubai, UAE

  • 2012 — Women in Middle Eastern Art, Doha, Qatar

  • 2008 — Contemporary Arab Abstraction, Dubai, UAE

  • 1998 — En El Paraíso Imposible, Arabic–Syrian Cultural Center, Madrid, Spain

  • 1996 — Eye of All Colors, Alliance Française, Damascus, Syria

  • 1990–1995 — General Exhibition of Fine Arts, Sharjah, UAE

Exhibitions