Adonis is often described as the greatest living poet of the Arab world, whose work has been translated into several languages. His poems immerse their reader in the memory of the place that he immigrated from over two decades ago but which he never actually left. Adonis' poems have inspired many artists, including several in The Khalid Shoman Collection.

Adonis began making small collages using Arabic calligraphy from the early 1990s, adding fragments of his own poems, as well as classical Arabic poetry. In 2007 Darat al Funun, in cooperation with the French Cultural Centre of Amman, hosted the debut exhibition of his joint project with Iraqi painter Haider.