Fahrelnissa Zeid Click for Artist Information

Fahrelnissa Zeid

FAHRELNİSSA ZEİD (1901 - 1991)

Zeid was born in Istanbul in 1901 into a prominent Ottoman Family. Her father is Şakir Pasha, an Ottoman diplomat, brigadier, photographer, and historian also the brother of Grand Vizier, Cevat Pasha. Her family, Şakir Pasha family raised many well-known artists in different fields. She was the sister of writer, Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı (the Fisherman of Halicarnassus) and painter Aliye Berger and the aunt of ceramist Füreya Koral. She was also the mother of artist Nejad Devrim and actress, Şirin Devrim. She attended the Painting Department of Sanayi-i Nefise (Ottoman Fine Arts Academy). Later in 1928, she attended Academie Ranson. In 1934, she married Prince Zeid and moved to Amman. She held solo exhibitions in important art centers in England, Jordan and Germany. She is the first Turkish woman artist to have exhibitions abroad. She passed away in Amman in 1991. Zeid has works in museums in Paris, New York, Jordan and Turkey. She is famous with her abstract paintings. Her art, formed in different directions ranging from portraits to abstract compositions and spontaneous impressions, is based on a basic approach arising from her liveliness and unique-personal creation power. She painted small geometric shapes consisting of squares, triangles, and rectangles to bright tones of yellow, red, white and purple on large canvases with enthusiasm. Contrasting colors are used bravely without anxiety of harmony; however, these contrary colors have been combined patiently to compose unique and striking sums and a web of glittering, dispersing tiny geometric shapes.