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In 2022, the centenary of the birth of the Syrian artist Fateh Moudarres (1922–1999) was commemorated. Following the artist’s death, his wife, Shokran Imam, devoted herself to preserving his studio in Damascus and ensuring the continued visibility of his work. The space functioned not only as a place of conservation but also as a site of artistic transmission, welcoming Syrian and international artists for exhibitions and encounters in keeping with the ideals that had guided Moudarres throughout his life. The studio-museum remained open under the name Atelier Fateh Moudarres, thereby perpetuating the memory of the artist and safeguarding an essential part of his creative environment.

After the passing of Shokran Imam in 2015, their daughter, Rania Moudarres, assumed responsibility for the stewardship of the artist’s legacy. As the legal heir to the Estate, she undertook the task of protecting, preserving, and promoting the oeuvre of Fateh Moudarres. While the studio remained in Damascus, a significant number of works were transferred to Europe, where Rania Moudarres resided. In the context of the Syrian conflict that began in 2011, this relocation proved essential for the conservation and protection of an important portion of the artist’s work.

In 2018, the first exhibition organized under the initiative of the Estate took place at the Galerie Concha de Nazelle in Toulouse, marking the beginning of renewed efforts to present the work of Fateh Moudarres to international audiences. Shortly thereafter, Rania Moudarres settled in France, where her encounter with Maître Gilles Hittinger-Roux, lawyer at the Court, contributed to strengthening the legal and institutional framework of the Estate. Me Hittinger-Roux has since acted as legal counsel for the Moudarres Estate.

From 2020 onward, sustained initiatives have been undertaken to reinforce the presence of Fateh Moudarres within the international art world. The defense and promotion of the artist’s work have been supported by Galerie Roanne de Saint Laurent in Paris, directed by Benjamin Hittinger. In 2021, the gallery organized a first solo exhibition in tribute to the artist. In May 2023, a presentation placed Fateh Moudarres in dialogue with the Chinese painter Chu Teh-Chun, highlighting resonances between different trajectories of twentieth-century modernism beyond the European context.

The Estate has also contributed to major international exhibitions devoted to modern art from the Middle East and its diasporas, lending works to institutional projects such as Beirut and the Golden Sixties presented at the Gropius Bau in Berlin and to the Lyon Biennale, both curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath. These collaborations contribute to the ongoing reassessment of Fateh Moudarres’s role within the history of twentieth-century modernism and the artistic developments of the Middle East.

Like any major artist whose work reflects the intellectual and cultural transformations of his time, Fateh Moudarres calls for rigorous and comprehensive scholarly study. The preparation of a catalogue raisonné therefore constitutes an essential undertaking for the documentation, preservation, and understanding of his oeuvre.

This long-term research project has been entrusted to the art historian Clotilde Scordia, a specialist in twentieth-century avant-gardes and in modernist artistic scenes beyond Europe. As the scientific author of the catalogue raisonné and forthcoming reference monograph, she directs the research dedicated to the artist, overseeing the documentation, archival study, and critical analysis of his production. The publication will assemble a substantial corpus of artworks, archival documents, photographs, and scholarly texts, establishing an authoritative reference for the study of Fateh Moudarres and situating his work within the broader history of modern art.

The preparation of such an archive raisonné requires a sustained and methodical effort. Each work must be carefully documented, examined, and compared with existing archival material, photographic records, and provenance information. This process, fundamental to the integrity of the catalogue raisonné, is conducted according to rigorous scholarly standards and in collaboration with collectors, institutions, and specialists.

In parallel with this research, the Moudarres Estate continues the essential work of examining and authenticating artworks attributed to the artist. With the growing presence of works attributed to Fateh Moudarres on the international art market particularly through auctions and galleries, the role of the Estate in ensuring reliable expertise has become increasingly important. The authentication process is conducted with the utmost rigor, based on stylistic analysis, archival documentation, provenance research, and comparison with verified works.

As the legal representative of the Estate, Rania Moudarres is responsible for the issuance of certificates of authenticity. Authentication and certification are carried out within the framework of the catalogue raisonné project and according to strict scholarly and documentary criteria. This process ensures the protection of the artist’s legacy while providing collectors and institutions with reliable expertise.

Collectors, galleries, auction houses, and institutions wishing to submit a work for authentication and possible inclusion in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné are invited to contact the Estate. Submissions should include high-resolution photographs of the work (minimum 300 dpi, front and back), together with all available information: title, date, dimensions, inscriptions, provenance, exhibition history, bibliography, and any relevant documentation.

Following examination, each authenticated work will receive a reference number corresponding to its entry in the catalogue raisonné.

Contact: estate.fateh.moudarres@gmail.com