Born in Qameshli, Kevork Mourad is a visual artist best known for his technique of live drawing and animation on stage with musicians, in which art and music harmonize with...
Born in Qameshli, Kevork Mourad is a visual artist best known for his technique of live drawing and animation on stage with musicians, in which art and music harmonize with each other. Sanctuary City III was inspired by the idea that certain cities have declared themselves safe spaces for refugees and migrants. Mourad sought to create a piece with layers one can imagine slipping into and feeling shielded by. The work is inspired by the mosaic architectural elements that form his visual representation of Aleppo, the city he grew up in, as well as the city where his Armenian ancestors took refuge over a hundred years ago.
Mourad received his MFA from the Yerevan Institute of Fine Arts in Armenia and has held resident teaching artist positions at Brandeis University, Harvard University and the College of the Holy Cross. He is a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble and is featured in the film Music of Strangers (2016). He has performed nationally and internationally, including at The Aga Khan Museum, Toronto; The Art Institute of Chicago; The Brooklyn Museum of Art; Carnegie Hall; Nara Museum, Japan; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.