Still Life Fruit and Blue Bottle, 1959

Louay Kayyali (1934–1978) was a prominent Syrian modern artist known for his poignant depictions of everyday life and the struggles of the underprivileged. Born in Aleppo, he began painting at the age of 11 and held his first solo exhibition at 18. In 1956, Kayyali received a scholarship to study at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome, where he met fellow Syrian artist Fateh Moudarres. Together, they represented Syria at the 1960 Venice Biennale. After graduating in 1961, Kayyali returned to Syria and taught at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus.

Kayyali's work is characterized by a blend of realism and expressionism, often portraying merchants, landscapes, and still lifes that reflect the social issues of his time. He primarily worked with oil on wood and pencil on paper, employing a simplicity in color and form. In 1967, he held a significant exhibition titled "For the Sake of the Cause," featuring 30 charcoal drawings that highlighted human suffering and the Arab world's upheavals. The exhibition faced harsh criticism, leading Kayyali to destroy many of the works and withdraw from painting for a period.

Despite personal struggles, including bouts of depression, Kayyali continued to exhibit his art in cities such as Rome, Milan, Montreal, Damascus, and Beirut. His works have been acquired by esteemed institutions, including Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, the National Museums of Aleppo and Damascus, the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah, and the British Museum. Posthumously, his paintings have achieved significant auction results, with "Then What??" selling for $900,000 at Sotheby's Riyadh in 2025.