Time Out Dubai

Stare too long at one of Shawki Youssef’s canvases and you may begin to feel uncomfortable: feet become hooves, a smudge something obscene, eyes tormented and limbs distorted. As with the works of Francis Bacon or Egon Schiele, the paintings can make our own skin crawl, our own bodies feel questioned – but at least they hold that rare ability to make us feel. We met the artist to discuss his influences, the human body and the art scene in Lebanon.