Hyperrealistic drawings in exhibition: ‘You can really see the emotion on his face’

Hairs on fingers, freckles on faces, and folds in skin. Bayan Alalo immortalises every detail that makes a person who they are in her hyperrealistic artworks.

Anyone walking past the Erasmus Pavilion can already see the drawings from outside. When sunlight hits them, they are hard to miss. Both inside the foyer and on the exterior windows, the works hang at eye level.

Bayan Alalo is a 25-year-old artist from Syria. She is taking Dutch and English language courses at Erasmus University. She has been drawing for much longer, but since 2017 her focus has been on creating hyperrealistic works.

“I experimented with different types of art”, Alalo says, “but in the end, I found my true passion in making black-and-white drawings.” She mainly creates these drawings using pencil.

“The exhibition is called ‘Picture? No, a Drawing’ because it’s hard to believe these are all drawings”, says Frederieke Hoitink, programme maker for Studium Generale, in her opening speech.

Piethein Burmanje, one of Alalo’s teachers, showed some photos of her drawings to Studium Generale. He asked whether they ‘could do something with them’. When they saw the drawings, the enthusiasm was immediate. Studium Generale offered Alalo a gallery space to display her work.

Alalo’s first source of inspiration is her mother, who is also an artist. Although her mother works with oil paints, Alalo has learned a great deal from her – lessons that continue to guide her today. “She pointed out my mistakes and explained how I could further develop my art.”

Alalo chooses subjects whose faces evoke emotion in her. Her first drawings were mainly inspired by her favourite actors and other celebrities. Smiling, she says, “Recently, I made a portrait of my brother. He’s closest to my heart.”

Creating one of her drawings takes between forty and one hundred hours. “The time I spend on a drawing depends on the details and on my personal mood”, Alalo explains. “If I focus on fine details such as pores, wrinkles or hair, it takes longer to finish. And when I’m calm and focused, I can work for hours on end, but under stress I need more breaks.”

Alalo bases her drawings on photographs. “My brother, for instance, can’t sit as a model for more than forty hours”, she says. Before starting this particular piece, she took a photo of him, which she then used to capture his likeness.

The works are arranged from oldest to newest. In the far corner, furthest from the door, there is a drawing from 2017. The final work in the line is her most recent portrait. Displayed this way, the exhibition shows how her art has evolved over the years.

Friends, family, classmates and teachers came to the opening to support Alalo. “Impressive”, says one visitor, looking at the portrait of Alalo’s brother. “You can really see the emotion on his face. He has a dreamy gaze.”

Alalo’s brother was also present at the opening. Standing next to the portrait for which he modelled, the resemblance is striking.