Biography

American born in Aleppo City.
1987 – MFA, School of Visual Arts, New York.
1985 – BA, Montclair State University, New Jersey.

My artistic journey is a profound exploration of formal elements, drawing influence from various cultures intertwined with my new American identity, creating deeply evocative work combining art-historical, cultural figures and patterns with personal references to create work that is characterized by a vivid interplay between the composed and considered, on the one hand, and the spontaneous and instinctive, on the other. Developed over time through a deliberate process of shape and color accumulation and adaptation. My recent works are marked by an unassuming yet assertive sense of compositional balance whereby the interrelation of individual parts–such as patterns, shapes, colors, lines, patches that at times outline shapes and forms, and at others float freely and participate in a global artistic conversation while maintaining a distinct voice.

My artworks have been displayed in solo and group exhibitions nationwide and internationally, including the Middle East Institute Art Gallery in Washington, D.C., Rowan University, Montclair, and Morris Art Museums in NJ, Miami Museum of Art + Design, Nova Southeastern University Art Museum (NSU Florida), and Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas (MoCCA) in Miami, FL. In 2021, my work was selected by the Art in Embassies Program to be displayed in the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and at the United Nations HQ building gallery, New York, NY. I have won numerous arts & culture awards and grants, and have been interviewed by and published in news media outlets. His artworks can be found in private and public collections.

Khawam has recently received several awards and grants, including:
– “Arab Pop Art” at the Middle East Institute, Washington, D.C. (2025)
– “Artist as Activist” at Rowan University Museum, recognized by the New Jersey Council on the Arts (2025)
– “Artist Cultural Project” from the Miami-Dade Cultural Division (2023)
– “Creative Investment Program” from the Broward County Cultural Division, Florida (2020-2023)
– “American Rescue Cultural Grant” from the National Endowment for the Arts through the Florida Division of Arts & Culture (2021)
– “Individual Artist Specific Cultural Project” from the Florida Division of Arts & Culture (2021/2023)

Additionally, Khawam has participated in various workshops, including:
– “Artist as an Entrepreneur Institute” by the Broward County Cultural Division (2019)
– “Artists at the Community Development Table” organized by the New Jersey Council on the Arts (2024)
– Various programs by Americans for the Arts (2019)

Khawam’s work has been featured in a range of international media outlets, including:
– Advanced Local Media, NJ.com (June 2025)
– Wissenschaft und Frieden (W&F) German Magazine (May 2025)
– Canvas Rebels Magazine (January 2025)
– Vicinity Magazine NJ (February 2025)
– Sky News Arabia (September 2022)
– Lifestyle Media Group, Palm Beach Illustrated, and Aventura Magazine, FL (October 2022)
– Boca Raton Magazine, FL (October 2020)
– Miami Shoutout Magazine (June, 2020)
– WLRN Public Media, Miami PBS-NPR (October 2020)
– Raseef 22 Magazine, Beirut Media (October 2020)
– Brooklyn Reporter News, NY (October 2019)
– Voyage Miami Magazine (January 2018)
– NJ Savvy Living Magazine, NJ (May 2000)
– The New York Times, NY (July 1998)

This summary highlights Khawam’s accomplishments and presence in the art community more clearly.


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