Leila Nseir (Syrian, b. 1941)

Leila Nseir's early paintings were realist in style such as this early and rare to find work, Untitled (from the Fools’ series), a series the artist is most proud of as she visited against all odds, the insane asylum in Cairo during her years of study there. Nseir used these pictures as part of her graduation show from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo in 1963. She was later honoured by the Syrian Ministry of Culture a few times for her help in shaping the artistic scene of the 1960s.

Nseir is an Avant-garde artist from Lattakia, who challenged early on the stereotypical prejudices of society, namely women’s rights. Her realistic style moved later own to expressionism while her more matured art became more abstracted, with vibrant interlocking forms, faces and figures. The artist was also influenced by frescos, and then she moved into printing techniques and utilized a number of media in one painting (oil, wax crayons, pastel, etc.) in an attempt to give deeper visual expression she became known for.