The short film Studio Visit with Karam Natour is available to watch at the top of the page.
Multidisciplinary artist Karam Natour intertwines humor and self-exploration, creating a distinctive fusion of digital printing, drawing, video, and installation art. Born in Nazareth, Israel, and raised in Shefa-‘Amr in a Muslim family, his background and family ties significantly influenced his early video artworks.
In Heat in My Head and Yoman, Natour invites us into his family world, including his twin brother and widowed mother, sharing authentic moments of daily life fatigue, frustration, and impatience. He skillfully places his family members in eccentric scenarios in front of the camera. Their authentic responses and inherent humor dissolve cultural barriers, allowing viewers to see reflections of their family dynamics and relate personally.
The videos capture the straightforward yet nuanced relationships among family members, presenting interactions between Natour, his mother, and his brother. The dialogues within these works and the father’s absence compel viewers to ponder on themes of intimacy, absence, and humor.
Natour’s digital drawings recurrently feature a faceless nude male figure in diverse situations. At times, the artist’s identity manifests in a jester character reminiscent of medieval court jesters. This alternative persona allows Natour to fearlessly delve into themes of mischief, sexuality, and dark narratives. But these drawings extend beyond mere shock value. They balance critique with humor and vulnerability, delving into themes of identity, gender, religion, and mythology. The jester serves as both a commentary on the art world and a reflection of Natour’s own vulnerabilities.
In an additional video, Natour clarifies his use of nudity and its association with the jester persona. Karam Natour’s multidisciplinary approach, combining humor, introspection, and critique, offers a unique perspective on life’s unpredictable coincidences and randomness.
The featured video Studio Visit with Karam Natour is part of the web series Yotsrim by Shachaf Dekel. Yotsrim includes five seasons and 73 episodes. The series won the Best Documentary award at the NYC Web Fest in 2019.
