Chronicling Abdullatif Al Smoudi’s artistic journey, friend and fellow painter Ismail Al Rifai writes in a retrospective essay: "[Al Smoudi’s] abstract paintings allow free rein to the viewer's imagination… They bear a plurality of symbols and indications that can only be decoded by letting thoughts drift away."
Born in Hama, Abdullatif Al Smoudi (1948–2005) studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Damascus University in the early 1970s, contributing to the abstract art movement in Syria. After moving to Sharjah, UAE, he was one of the earliest members of the Emirates Fine Arts Society and co-authored a seminal article for their publication, Al Tashkeel. In parallel to his artistic practice, he was an art consultant to the UAE Ministry of Interior before working with the Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah for 25 years.
A key figure in the Arab abstraction movement, Al Smoudi looked to the beauty and culture of the Arab world for inspiration, using symbols and letters in his dense grid-like paintings. Full of patterns and motifs, his colourful and intricate works exude vibrant energy and warmth. Beyond ornamental geometric references, his work also displays spontaneous and dynamic brushwork and a vivid palette.
Al Smoudi’s work has been shown internationally in over 50 exhibitions, including retrospectives, and at institutions such as the Ministry of Culture, Damascus, Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Foundation and the Department of Islamic Manuscripts at the Louvre, Paris.