(Painter - Engraver)

Biography and Statement:

1927: Born in Ain El Sindianeh (Shoueir) Matn - North Lebanon.
1947: Graduated from the «International College» of the American University of Beirut.
1948-1953: Worked as a clerk in the filing section offices of the (I.P.C.)Irak Petroleum Company in Tripoli-Lebanon.
2020.07.20: The artist passed away.

Artistic Training:

1953-1957: Joined the «Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts», Beirut.
1957-1966: Sojourn in Paris:
- Joined the «Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts» de Paris (Atelier Brianchon pour la peinture, et Atelier Cami et Bercier pour la gravure).
- Frequented l’atelier Goetz et l’atelier Brayer at the Académie de la grande Chaumière.
- Frequented «L’Académie André Lhote».
- Made several individual exhibitions and participated in collective ones.
- Visited Munich, Stuttgart, Basel, Dornach, London, Bruge, Rome, Athens, Quebec, Montreal, Los Angles, Chicago, Milwankee and New York. Made contacts with artists and galleries.

Artistic Activity (Individual exhibitions):

1959: «Alumni Club» of the American University of Beirut.
1961: The hall of «Rudolf Steiner House» in Stuttgart – Germany.
1962: Gallery «Maison des Beaux-Arts» Rue des Beaux-Arts, Paris.
1963: «Gallery Triades» Rue de la Grande Chaumière, Paris.
1963: «Gallery Michel Harmouche» Starko Center, Beirut.
1964: «Gallery Triades» Rue de la Grande Chaumière, Paris.
1965: «Gallery Triades» Rue de la Grande Chaumière, Paris.
1966: An exhibition in the house of the novelist and sociologist Dr. Halim Barakat, Beirut.
1967: «Gallery One», Beirut.
1970: «House of Art and Literature» (Dar El Fan Wal Adab), Beirut.
1970: An exhibition and a lecture in the hall of the «Thursday Seminar» in the city of Baalbeck.
1973: «Gallery Centre d’art» de Brigitte Chehadeh, spouse of the poet George Chehadeh, Beirut.
1982: «Gallery Damo» - Antelias – Lebanon.
1986: «Gallery Damo» - Antelias – Lebanon.
1987: «Gallery Janine Rubeiz», Beirut.
1991: The hall of «Goethe Institut », Beirut.
1994: «Gallery 50 x 70», Beirut.
1995: «Gallery Rencontre», Beirut.
1998: «Gallery Janine Rubeiz», Beirut.
2002: «Studio – Gallery» of the painter George Khayralla, El – Mtayn – Lebanon.
2009: Mar Mikhael, Bikfaya, Lebanon.

Participation in International Biennals and Saloons:

1957: Participation in the Yearly “Salon de l’Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts, Paris.
1958: «Salon de l’Ecole Natinale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts», Paris.
1960: Exposition «La peinture Internationale» at the Maison Internationale in the Cité universitaire, Paris.
1969: Biennal of Alexandria for the Mediterranean Countries, Egypt.
1970: Biennal of Sao-Paulo, Bresil.
1981: Biennal of Sao-Paulo, Bresil.
1984: «The 8th British International Print Biennal» in Bradford City, England.
1984: «The 4th International exhibition of small forma engraving» in Lodz City, Poland.
1987: Exhibition of «Cent Artistes pour Tyr» Sponsored by «l’Association Internationale pour la Sauvegarde de Tyr» Au Palais Mazarin. Paris.
1993: «First Egyptian International Print Triennale», Cairo.
1993: «Salon d’Automne» at the «Grand Palais», Paris.

Represented Lebanon in the following Festivals and Exhibitions:

1967: Exhibition of «Peintres-Graveurs de l’Ecole de Paris» organized by Brigitte Chehadeh, in honor of the late frensh painter George Cyr who lived in Beirut. The exhibition included works for the following artists: Clavé, Compigli, Fiorini, Guitet, Ortiga, Courtin, Marino-Marini, Piza, Sugai, Friedlander, Zadkin, Modigliani.
1974: «Festival International de la Jeunesse Francophone» in the city of Quebec - Canada. Participated in an exhibition and collaborated with eight artists coming from France, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, Haiti and Maurice Island, in the decoration of what was called the «Mur International» which is a part of the big wall that surounds the courtyard of the palace where the Festival took place. The design he made was chosen for that purpose.
1994: « Exhibition of The love encounter of the Arab Plastic Artists» in the city of Lattakieh, in the context of «The Sixth Love Festival» under the patronage of the syrian Prime Minister Mahmoud El Zuoubi and Madame Najat El Attar Minister of culture. From each Arab Country, one artist was chosen for this encounter.

Arabic Biennals and Exhibitions:

1967: «Arab Art Exhibition» organized by the British company for tobacco «Carreras Graven «A»» The works where chosen by a british-lebanese committee headed by the english art critic Mr. Hugh Scrutton. Eight paintings were chosen for eight artists belonging to each of the following arab countries: Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Irak, Kuweit, Bahrain and Egypt. The exhibition took place successively in London, Paris, Rome, Cairo, Manameh, Amman, Kuweit, Bagdad, Damascus and Beirut.
1971: «Exhibition of Arab Artists» in Kuweit.
1973: He was one of the lebanese artists who were invited to Bagdad to participate in the formation of the «Association of the Arab Plastic Artists».
1974: «First Biennal of the Arab Countries» in Bagdad.
1974: «Arab Art Exhibition» in the city of Tunis, «Center of living Art - Museum of Modern Art» included 34 artists from ten arab countries.
1986: «Contemporary Arab Art» in «Mall Galeries» London sponsored by the «League of Arab Countries», included 32 Artists from eleven arab countries.
1988: «The London Arab week : A Festival for books, Poetry, Art, Music» sponsored by «Riad El-Rayes Books, Ltd.» London.

Lebanese Exhibitions Festivals and Saloons:

1972: Exhibition «Lebanese Painting» in the city of Manhein - Germany sponsored by «Goethe center» Beirut.
1988: Exhibition « Contemporary Lebanese Artists » in « Kufa Gallery » London. Included 19 artists.
1988: Exhibition «The Lebanese Art Festival» organized by the (Platform International and Myriam Ancient Art Galleries) in collaboration with Ramsi Rihani. The exhibition took place in New-York and in Washington. It included eleven artists.
1989: Exhibition «200 years of Lebanese Painting» in «Concours Galleries Barbican Center». It took place in London and in Paris. Sponsored by «The British Lebanese Association».
1994: Exhibition «Contemporary Plastic Art in Lebanon». Sponsored by «The Arabic Foundation of Culture and Art in Lebanon». It took place in «The people’s Hall» in Damascus, in collaboration with «The Association of Fine Arts» in Syria.
2002: Exhibition «Lebanese painters in the sixties» sponsored by the Bikfaya –Mouhaidsy municipality – Bikfaya. Lebanon.
-Regular participation in the «Spring Exhibitions» held by the ministry of national culture and fine arts, at the UNESCO palace, and in the «Autumn Saloon» arganized by Sursock Museum, as well as in the collective exhibitions held at the «Hall of Sheikh Zayed» in the Lebanese American University, organized by the Alumni association and also in the collective exhibitions organized by the International College.

The Artistic and Literary Writings:

1975: Publication of the book «The mytamorphosis of line and colour» deals with the psychic and mental motives underlaying contemporary and modern plastic-artistic movements since the impressionists and up till now.
1995: Publication of the book «The Eye of Contentment» (Ain El Ridah) consisting of contemplations and meditations on Art and the being of man (an interior voyage in the being of man artist, throwing lights on the creative consciousness of the unconscious).
2000: A renewed, enlarged and revised second edition of the book «The Mytamorphosis of line and colour»
- Numerous artistic and literary articles and essays in the cultural reviews, magazines, papers, and Journal Supplements.

Prizes:

1961: First prize for engraving of the «Annual Exhibition of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts» de Paris, as a foreign artist.
1962: A reminding of the First Prize.
1963: Laureat of an artistic contest organized by the ministry of national education and fine arts and obtainment of a grant for three years study in Paris.
1969: Obtained an «Honorable Mention» from the Biennal of Alexandria for the mediterranean countries.
1997: Honored by «The Cultural Movement - Antelias», in the cadre of «Eminent men of culture in Lebanon» and was offered the shield of the cultural movement.
2000: Honored by the Balamand university and granted the Medal of Saints Peter and Paul of the order of big commandor by his beatitude the Patriarch Ignatius the 4th.
2004: Honored by the «Fine Arts Institute» of the «Lebanese University» as a retired professor of the institute in recognition his endeavors and accomplishments, and was offered the institute’s shield.

Museums and Public Collections:

1 - «Soursuk Museum» Beirut .
2 - «Museum of Mate Formi Grafiki Gallery» City of Lodz-Poland.
3 - «Museum of Modern Art» city of Tunis -Tunisia.
4 - Participation in the decoration of the “Mur International” in the City of Quebec – Canada.
5 - «Saddam Center for the Fine Arts» Bagdad.
6 - «Museum of Amin El Rihaneh» El Fraykeh - Lebanon.
7 - «Museum of Modern Graphic Arts» Cairo - Egypt.
8 - «Museum of Modern Arab Art» in the city of Daouha –Katar.
9 - «Collection of the ministry of culture and fine arts» - UNESCO palace, Beirut
10 - «Collection of the Airport of King Khaled (a mural tapis) in the city of Riad - Saoudi Arabia.
11 - Collection of the Academie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts - Beirut.
12 - Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris.
13 - Collection of the «Cultural Council of Matn - North» - Beirut.
14 - Collection of the «International College» of the AUB - Beirut.
15 - Collection of the Republican Palace - Beirut.
16 - Realization of twenty large engraved copper plates for the decoration of the «Jewelry grand magazines» in the city of Daouha - Katar.
17 - Realization of twelve large engraved copper plates for the decoration of the café «La Barrique» in the city of Tripoli – Lebanon.
18 - Realization of artistic drawings for collections of poems, literary books, reviews & periodicals.

References:

1 - The parisian hebdomadary «arts» N°3, 9/4/1963.
2 - «Liban Moderne» by Pierre Lyautey. Edit. Jullard 1964 Paris. Page 137.
3 - «Triades» revue trimestrielle de culture humaine N°4, winter 1966 page 86, Paris.
4 - «Note book of Modern Arab Culture» by Issam Mahfouz, edit. «House of Lebanese Book» 1973, Beirut.
5 - «Contemporary artistic movement in some arab countries» by Mouna Saoudi edit. UNRWA – UNESCO, Beirut, 1973.
6 - «Contemporary art in Lebanon» by Edward Lahhoud, edit. Dar El Shark 1974.
7 - «Hundred Years of Plastic Art in Lebanon» by Richard Shahin. Edit. Gallery Shahin 1982, Beirut.
8 - «Modern Arab Art» by Afif Bahnasi edit. UNESCO, 1982, Paris.
9 - «Catalogue of the 8th british international print biennal», Bredford –England, 1984, page 109.
10 - «Catalogue of the 4th international exhibition of small graphic forms» Lodz city, Poland, 1984, page 131.
11 - «Al Azmina» a cultural bimonthy review N°December 1988, pages 73-82, Beirut.
12 - Catalogue «200 years of Lebanese painting», Gallery Barbican center, London 1989 page 131.
13 - Catalogue «Abstract painting in Lebanese art» Alumi Association of Lebanese American University, 1995, pages 34-35, Beirut.
14 - : «Names Dictionary of Families and Persons» by Ahmad Abou Sad. Edit. «Dar el elm lilmalayeen» Beirut. 1997. Page 188.
15 - «Arab Society in the twentieth Century» a book by Dr. Halim Barakat, 2000, page 700, Beirut.
16 - «Rouwad Min Lubnan» (Pioneers from Lebanon) edit (ADPEC) 2002 Beirut, pages 609-612.
«Benézit» Dictionnair Critique et Documentaire des peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, Nouvelle edition, Librairie Grund Paris, 1999.
17 - «The White face of Lebanon» Dictionary of the twentieth Century edit. M.C.A. Sarl. Company. Hoursh Tabet – Beirut. 2004. Pages 753-754.
18 - «Lebanon – A century in Pictures» (1900 – 2000) edit, Dar An Nahar, Beirut, 2003 Page.241.
19 - «A story of a human body» (Dialogues & memories of the pioneers of the artistic movement, about Maryam, the first nude model in the ALBA) by Nadia Nammar, edit. Dar An Nahar, Beirut 2001. pages .85 – 89.
20 - «Janine Rubeiz et Dar El Fan» (Regard vers un Patrimoine culturel. Edit, Dar An Nahar, Beirut. 2003. pages. 77, 196, et 2004 – 205.
21 - «In front of the tableau» by Cézar Nammour. Edit. Maison de Beaux – Arts. Beirut. 2003, pages 136 – 145.