Born in Al-Hasakah, Syria, in 1973, Sabhan Adam is a self-taught artist.

A prolific artist, Adam has built his career through gallery exhibitions as well as independent projects.

Adam paints extravagant portraits of twisted creatures. These grisly figures all share similar facial features based on the artist's own. He states: "The figures I paint have so many things in common with me — they look like me, they have the same head and the same Asian eyes as me. I draw myself with everything that exists inside: the sadness, the misery, the shocking things I have faced, the isolation, and the feeling of not belonging to this world."

Adam renders his subjects as unattractive yet adorns them in ceremonial dress — covering these creatures in striking drapes detailed with sequins, gems, and metallic paint. In doing so, he invites the viewer to question stereotypical perceptions of beauty.

Internationally recognized, Adam has held solo exhibitions around the world, including in Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Dubai, Geneva, Madrid, Paris, Rome, and New York. His work has also been shown at institutions such as the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, and the Venice Biennale. It has been acquired by the British Museum, the Jalanbo Collection, and the Barjeel Art Foundation, and is held in many private collections.