Sannib art is hard to file under one heading. Born Hazem Sannib in Kuwait and now based in London, he taught himself to paint from the age of ten, then spent eighteen years in advertising alongside his art practice. That design background shows in everything he makes: bold composition and instant impact, followed by layers of texture, paint and finish that reward a closer look.
At Our House Gallery his work spans six collections, from original oil portraits of 20th century icons to gold mirror aluminium, shifting lenticular pieces and hand-bent book covers. We’ve chosen one piece from each, so you can see how far one artist’s visual language stretches. A theme runs through all of it: the idea of a hidden side, the private person behind the public face.
Six Pieces To Know
1. Lasting Faith, from Iconic Portraiture
George Michael appears in aviator sunglasses, a grey-flecked beard and a chunky knitted scarf, painted with expressive, textured brushwork. Behind him, a wash of fiery orange and cool blue glows like a halo. This is a one-of-a-kind original oil painting, 80 x 80cm, signed and supplied with a certificate of authenticity in a black wooden floating frame. Sannib doesn’t aim for a straight likeness. A familiar face becomes something closer to an icon. Explore Iconic Portraiture.
2. Golden Lights, from Hidden Side
Hidden Side is the idea at the heart of Sannib’s portraits: one half of a face is revealed while the other is obscured, standing for the gap between public persona and private life. In Golden Lights, a slender neck and the left side of a face emerge from a soft, misty ground. The lips are full and slightly parted, the chin tilted upward, and the eye is almost veiled by thick, creamy layers of white and pale gold paint that cascade like light or fabric. The nose, cheek and bare shoulder stay clear in warm flesh tones, while the right half dissolves into vertical strokes of charcoal, bronze and gold, like shadowy figures half-hidden behind a luminous veil. Flecks of gold catch the light across the surface. It’s an original oil on canvas, 120 x 80cm, signed and certified, in a black floating wooden frame that brings it to about 128 x 88cm. It’s one of the largest pieces in this feature, and as a one-off original there is only one. See the Hidden Side collection.
3. Hepburn | Golden Stamp, from Metallic Icons
Audrey Hepburn’s pearls, updo and poise get a playful twist: a pink bubblegum bubble and the line “Happy Girls Are The Prettiest”. The whole scene is styled as an oversized scalloped golden postage stamp, complete with a First Class postmark. It’s made on 3mm Dibond aluminium with a high relief gloss finish and a golden mirror surface, so the reflections shift as you move past it. At 80 x 80cm and hand-signed on the reverse, it comes with an aluminium subframe on the back, ready to hang. Browse Metallic Icons.
4. Never Surrender Lenticular, from Shift & Shimmer
A monochrome portrait of Winston Churchill, with every crease and contour drawn out in dramatic light. Lenticular art uses a ridged lens surface, so the image seems to shift as you change position, and no two viewings are quite the same. This one is an edition of 25, signed by Sannib with a certificate of authenticity. The 70 x 70cm image sits in a wooden double floating frame, which makes the artwork appear suspended within its border. Discover Shift & Shimmer.
5. Batman in London, from Heroes and Comics
Batman steps out of a black and white London street of grand stone architecture, cobbles and an ornate street lamp. Beside him stand two classic telephone boxes, one in grey and one a vivid red that echoes the details of his suit. He’s the only figure in full colour, cape sweeping behind him. It’s a one-off mixed media original with textured, raised ink, so the figure lifts from the surface and catches the light. At 50 x 50cm in a grain black floating frame (69 x 69cm framed), it’s a lively way to begin a collection. Meet Heroes and Comics.
6. The Cover Never Tells The Story, from Hidden Library
A classic Penguin-style paperback cover, reimagined as a sculpture. It’s hand-bent and folded acrylic, crumpled like a well-read jacket, with the logo reimagined as a heart. Raised ink detail and a glossy varnish make every fold catch the light differently. No two are folded alike, so each of the edition of five has its own character. It measures 90 x 64cm unframed or 103 x 77cm framed, comes with a certificate of authenticity, and hangs from a discreet subframe on the back. The message is simple: every cover hides a story. Step into Hidden Library.
Seeing them in person
Every piece arrives ready to hang, with free UK delivery, free collection from the gallery and free 14 day returns. If you’d like to see them before deciding, call in to Our House Gallery on Church Street in Market Harborough, or explore the full Sannib collection.
