Fashion Entrepreneur Zina Khair on Three Decades of Collecting Syrian Art

Based in Dubai, the Syrian art aficionado and fashion entrepreneur Zina Khair has amassed a formidable collection of artworks by Syria’s greatest living and late artists over the course of nearly three decades. Here, Khair discusses her collector parents’ influence; her taste for imperfect portraiture; her favorite artists; and her advice for aspiring collectors.

For Khair, collecting is a case of “love at first sight”

The French have the expression coup de foudre, which literally translates into “a bolt of lightning.” It’s also another way of saying “love at first sight,” and that is exactly how Khair describes her process of art collecting. In 1994, she bought her first artwork in her native Damascus, a small figurative painting by the Syrian master Fateh Moudaress, who passed away in 1999. “I bought it from my first salary,” she told Artsy at her art-filled apartment with a remarkable view of downtown Dubai. “I did not want to buy a purse [or] a piece of jewelry, but a painting.”

The artist whose work has influenced her the most

Khair is no stranger to art. Her parents were avid art enthusiasts; they befriended Moudaress and bought many of his symbolist canvases. “I grew up in a house filled with art. I literally opened my eyes and all I could see were our walls full of Moudaress’s work,” she recalled. “He influenced my life the most. Because of him, we fell in love with painting. It’s through him that we learned to appreciate and accept the different. In his paintings, the women’s eyes and breasts are uneven. It wasn’t about the perfect features.”

On becoming a champion of Syrian art

Khair didn’t intend to “build” an art collection, but becoming a collector happened naturally over the years. Today, her collection comprises numerous works created predominantly by Syrian modern and contemporary artists.

Displayed like a mini museum, Khair’s apartment features emotionally charged paintings by Safwan Dahoul, Louay Kayali, Omar “Malva” Hamdi, Rima Salamoun, Mohannad Orabi, Fadi Yazigi, and Marwan Kassab-Bachi, among others. Works cover the walls of her home, including in the kitchen. Intriguing sculptures of insects and iguanas by the Syrian sculptor Jamil Kasha are scattered on tables, and every piece has a story to tell: “I love them equally,” she said. “Each one has a different soul and character. . . Each one of them says something to you.”

Khair moved to Dubai in 2012 following the Syrian civil war (she left everything behind, except photo albums and her art), and has today become something of a champion for Syrian art. She didn’t feel the need to look abroad for talent. “I don’t know if it’s a patriotic thing, but I really believe in Syrian art and artists. I love what they do, regardless of what they’ve been going through. There’s still so much creativity happening.”

Khair is drawn to collecting works that show people’s imperfections

A majority of Khair’s collection is figurative work, but it’s not of the classical kind. “I’m not attracted to beautiful faces, but to real faces,” she explained. “Maybe it’s because it was a kind of rebellion against society imposing perfect beauty standards in Middle Eastern societies: you had to be beautiful. . . There’s a certain pressure on us girls growing up.”

One of the artists who created imperfect faces is Sabhan Adam, whom she had initially never heard of. Adam’s portraits of creatures or “monsters” bring out a satirical, Orwellian feel. “[Adam] told me that they’re not monsters,” explained Khair. “They’re beautiful creatures. It’s society that sets the parameters of beauty, and so you think that they are monsters.” The same goes for Marwan Kassab-Bachi, who is known for his psychological self-portraits that resemble ragged landscapes. Zhair hopes to one day purchase a larger painting by the artist.

For Khair, a genuine connection with the artwork is paramount

What excites Khair in the art world today is seeing young artists in the region being recognized by established auction houses and museums.

When it comes to purchasing artwork, Khair believes that it isn’t always about how big the name of the artist is, but rather what their work makes you feel. “I would hope for the art scene to go back to that genuine connection that anyone can make with an artwork, regardless of the investment and value it would take in the future,” she said. “Invest in what you love, because that is what you’ll be living with.”