“I never felt home, so as long as I am searching for a place where I truly belong, I will keep on painting birdman. This ‘birdman’ is now a symbol for all the refugees who are homesick and on the move.”
Born in 1974 in Damascus, Khawam is a self-taught multidisciplinary Lebanese-Syrian artist, writer and poet who has participated in over 30 collective exhibitions in Lebanon, Bahrain, UK, Germany, France, New York, Singapore, Italy, Taiwan and Jordan. His family moved to Beirut when he was 14 years old and they became Lebanese citizens in 1994. Khawam had just reached legal age and was drafted into military service by the Syrian Army. When he realized that he would have to return to Syria the young man panicked and tried to flee. In his attempt to escape he stepped on a land mine. Even though he lost a leg he won freedom, as he sees it today. In 2012 he faced a prison sentence or a high fine for spraying a wall with a graffiti in form of an armed soldier in memory of the Lebanese Civil war. In 2014 he was beaten up by unknown persons on the street when they saw his passport and realized that he was born in Syria. Surviving all adversities, Seeman recently moved to the UK, where he now lives and works.
He became more recently known as “birdman.” His nickname is inspired by his recurring bird motif, which stands as both his alter ego and all-time favorite companion. To record his uncomfortable realities, Khawam fluctuates between paintings, sculptures, graffiti, theatre and/or anything his heart desires, drawing inspiration from his daily life. Khawam uses his work to draw attention to political contradictions and social injustice, the lack of cultural appreciation and other uncomfortable realities. His art and poetry have been featured in both Arab and international newspapers.
1997 - Props designer, Hour of the wolf, play by Elie Chalhoub, Lebanese American University (LAU), Beirut, Lebanon
1999 - Acting and art directing and props, Dystopia, by Mohammad Cherif, LAU, Lebanon
2000 - Collective Exhibition, Theater of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
2001 - Solo Exhibition, Theater of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
2001 - Scriptwriting and Co-Director, Shelter (الملجأ), student production Lycee Abdel Kaber, Beirut, Lebanon
2001 - Collective Exhibition, Exist (installation), Space SD, Beirut, Lebanon
2002 - Script writing/acting, Time by Joyce Samaha, LAU, Beirut, Lebanon
2003 - Collective Exhibition, Epreuve D’artiste, Beirut, Lebanon
2003 - Art Director, Celle-ci n’est pas ma clarinette, short film by Lin Codeih, Beirut, Lebanon
2004 - Installation, The Departed, with Rafik Majzoub at Janine Rubeiz Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2006 - Exhibition paintings, King Crow King fish with Rafik Majzoub, Nada Debs Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2009 - Collective Exhibition, Art mix at Joanna Seikaly Art Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2010 - Collective Exhibition, Art mix at Joanna Seikaly Art Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2010 - Acting – Omar, short film by Joelle Beayni, Beirut, Lebanon
2011 - Collective Exhibition, Art mix at Joanna Seikaly Art Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2011 - Collective Exhibition, Rochane Art Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2011 - Collective Exhibition, Art Circle Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2012 - Beirut Art Fair, with Joanna Seikaly Art Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2012 - Collective Exhibition, Alternative Electro Mecanique, EM Space, Beirut, Lebanon
2012 - Collective Exhibition, Kisses of an Enemy, with Thaer Marouf at Sana Gallery, Singapore
2012 - Co-Writer/Art Directior, Nanbel, web TV show with Mohammad Shreif (writer and director), Beirut, Lebanon —
2012 - Solo Show, Chair, Table, a Birdman, Joanna Seikaly Art Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2013 - Collective show, The Rivoli 59 Gallery, Paris, France
2013 - Actor, The Wooden Rifle, documentary by Alfouz Tanjour, Beirut, Lebanon
2013 - Collective Show, Three-Dimensional Interpretations, Art Circle Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2013 - Collective Show, Embrace Art Exhibition, The Main Gallery, Le Yacht Club, Beirut, Lebanon —
2013 - Collective Show, Fall in Exhibition, Espaces Ephemeres, Beirut, Lebanon
2013 - Solo Show, Ink, metal, charcoal & coffee, Art Circle Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2014 - Actor, Incarnation of a bird from an oil painting, film by Omar Fakoury and Roy Smaha (winner of best experimental at Beirut Film Festival (BIFF), Lebanon
2014 - Collective Show, Displaced Portraits, Kuchling Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2015 - Participant, ART 15, London's Global Art Fair, London, United Kingdom
2015 - Participant, Art Fair Beirut, Lebanon
2015 - Double Solo Show with Mohammad Tamim, Albareh Art Gallery, Manama, Bahrain
2015 - Group Exhibition with Annie Kurkdjian, Charles Khoury, Innerscapes, Albareh Art Gallery, Manama Bahrain
2016 - Group Exhibition, Views, Ritz Carlton, Bahrain
2016 - Group Exhibition, Summer Collection, Albareh Art Gallery, Manama Bahrain
2016 - Participant, Art Fair Beirut with Albareh Art Gallery
2016 - Collective show with Fadi El Chamaa, Rochne Art Galley, Beirut
2017 - Group Show wih Giles Duley, Shame and soul, Imago Mundi-Luciano, Benetton Collection, Palermo, Italy (received honorary citizenship)
2017 - Collective Show, Wadi Finan Art Gallery, Amman, Jordan
2017 - Participant, Art Fair Beirut, Gallery Rochne
2017 - Participant Art Fair Abu Dhabi show with Albareh Art gallery Bahrain
2017 - Resident artist with Legacy of War association , Giles Duley photography show ‘ I can only tell you what my eyes see” London
2018 - Solo show (sculptures) Birdman, Saleh Barakat Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2018 - Art fair Beirut with Saleh Barakat Gallery
2019 - Immersive Experience & group show, Sleeping with the enemy, Kaf Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2019 - Immersive Experience & group show, Raw, Kaf Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2020 - Collective Show, About freedom and love, Kuchling Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2020 - Immersive Experience & group show, Mamnou3 El Tehzib (No room for discipline), sleepingwiththeenemyproductions, Beirut, Lebanon —
2020 - Immersive Experience & online experience, Taba3od (Distancing), Beirut, Lebanon
2020 - Group Show, Pop Up Art Gallery Edition I, Beirut, Lebanon
2021 - Group Show, Pop Up Art Gallery Edition II, Beirut, Lebanon
2021 - Group Show, Kuchling Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2021 - Dual Solo Exhibition, Wilderness, Mojo Art Gallery
