Osama Al Rayyan

Osama Al Rayyan's work.

Why go

Al Rayyan's practice weaves personal memory with art-historical reference—influenced by Goya and twentieth-century Latin American literature—creating works where emotional intimacy emerges through absence rather than visual clarity.

What to expect

Low-contrast canvases in tangerines, muted yellows, and muddy teals with thin layered brushwork interrupted by hard-edged geometric lines suggesting architecture and division.

Things to know

• Al Rayyan describes these works as 'shy paintings,' developed through revision and association working directly on canvas.
• As a child in Damascus, his uncle exposed him to monographs, prints, museums, and archives; Goya was a 'teenage crush.'
• Literature, particularly twentieth-century Latin American writing and Magical Realism, significantly influences his practice.
• The exhibition opened June 6, 2026 at Hoffman Donahue, 725 N Western Ave, Los Angeles.
• Personal memory and art-historical reference are deliberately intertwined in his compositions without clear borders or authorship.