Imaginery Homeland, Kevork Mourad
Imaginary Homeland: Memory as Architecture
What happens to a home once it’s left behind? Does it sit in silence—or does it transform, becoming memory, music, and myth?
In Imaginary Homeland, Kevork Mourad transforms memory into structure. Through layered drawings on denim and linen—fabrics shaped by time, labor, and tenderness—he reimagines the homes of childhood. These are not literal reconstructions; rather, they are emotional landscapes. Mourad evokes the warmth of a kitchen, the elegance of cursive writing, and the comfort of a lullaby once sung.
From Aleppo to Myth
Some works trace their origins to stories rooted in Aleppo. For instance, one legend speaks of a saint who lived atop a column. After his death, pilgrims chipped away at the pillar, believing the fragments could bring fertility. Mourad fuses this history with surrealist elements, crafting symbols of faith, ritual, and persistent endurance.
Dialogues with the Earth
Elsewhere, a series of 24 small color paintings explores our relationship with the land. Each piece reflects on planting, harvesting, and the quiet work of hands. Through these intimate scenes, Mourad honors the rhythm of agriculture and the reciprocal care between humans and soil. In this way, he suggests that the earth, too, holds memory.
Migration and Language
Two large-scale installations expand the narrative. One commemorates migrants who crossed the Mediterranean in search of safety. The other traces the fragile origins of language and culture—how shared stories evolve into entire worlds. As Mourad explains, “Art holds a responsibility to document time—so future generations may understand what it meant to live, to dream, and to endure.”
Thus, his work raises urgent questions: What do we carry when we’re forced to leave? What do we bury—and what survives in memory? What can still take root?
About Kevork Mourad
Kevork Mourad was born in Qamishli, Syria, and later studied at the Yerevan Institute of Fine Art. Today, he lives and works in New York. His live and animated visuals have appeared at institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Elbphilharmonie, Korea National Opera, and the Aga Khan Museum—where his installation Seeing Through Babel entered the permanent collection in 2023.
Over the years, Mourad has become a longstanding member of the Silkroad Ensemble and featured in the documentary The Music of Strangers. He received the Robert Bosch Stiftung Prize in 2016 for his short film Four Acts for Syria. More recently, he was awarded a New York State Council on the Arts grant in 2023 and completed a fellowship at the Fountainhead Residency in 2024.
His work has been exhibited across the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East, with recent shows at the Asia Society Triennial (2020), Rose Art Museum in Boston, and Perrotin Shanghai (2025). Mourad is represented by Galerie Tanit in Beirut and Munich.
