Born and schooled in Germany, Martin Giesen studied art history at Heidelberg University. After working for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and completing a PhD, Giesen entered into a career of university teaching. He has taught in Lebanon (AUB 1973-85), Saudi Arabia, Canada, and most recently in the UAE where he was founding dean of the School of Architecture & Design at the American University of Sharjah. For some 30 years, Giesen has produced and exhibited watercolor paintings documenting the impact of development on the human environment. His work has been shown in solo exhibits in Lebanon, Germany, Canada and the UAE. David Tannous of Art in America has called Giesen a “contemporary Orientalist.” John Munro and Samir Sayegh authored monographs, published in 1984 and 1995, on Giesen’s Lebanese watercolors.

For some twenty years Martin Giesen has made the Middle East his home. His art captures the impact of development on human environment. In descriptive watercolors, Giesen pictorially narrates locations of change: reconstruction in downtown Beirut, busy ports of the Gulf, the clash of tradition and modernity in Dubai, and decaying heritage in Cyprus. His work has been shown in solo exhibits in Lebanon, Germany, Canada and the UAE.

Recent Exhibitions

2011 - Tashkeel, Nad El Sheba, Dubai
2010 - Art Abu Dhabi, Emirates Palace
2008 - Art Paris Abu Dhabi, Emirates Palace
2006 - XVA Gallery, Dubai
2006 - Galerie Epreuve d’Artiste, Beirut
2006 - Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah
2004 - Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah
2000 - Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah
1991 - Wallace Galleries, Calgary
1989 - Westend Gallery, Edmonton
1988 - Wallace Galleries, Calgary
1987 - Galerie Sagert, BerlinAbu Dhabi Tourism Authority, Alberta Art Foundation, American University of Beirut, American University of Sharjah, AMOCO, ARAMCO, Banque Audi, Dubai Municipality, Government of Alberta, H. H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Moubarak, H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed al Qassimi, Interprovincial Pipeline, NYNEX, President’s Office-Republic of Lebanon, Prime Minister’s Office-Republic of Lebanon, Rafik Hariri Collection, Sun Life, University of Alberta.Work held in Selected Public, Private and Corporate Collections.

The restored portion of Beirut’s downtown is called the Solidere district after the company that was formed to undertake the renewal project. Here, many 19th century residences have been rebuilt or restored to former glory. Late afternoon light captures the texture of the stone work.

This town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon served officers of the ancient Roman army as a retirement community. The Jupiter and Bacchus temples are the largest extant examples of Roman religious architecture.

In some of the old neighborhoods of Lebanese towns one can still find shops that sell an odd assortment of goods. This store in Tyre offers olive soap, brooms and cages, all arranged in a picturesque jumble that casts crisp shadow patterns on the wall. A touch of nostalgia is added by the man with tarbouche, a sight that is dying out with the generation of the shopkeeper.

Martin Giesen lived for 12 years in a building on the Corniche and has experienced its many subtle changes. This watercolor reminds of an earlier time, probably in the 1980’s, when unemployed youngsters offered a shoeshine to the few clients who needed the service.

Deir El Kamar is a small town in the mountains of central Lebanon. Its historic buildings are well preserved. For part of the Ottoman Empire Deir El Kamar was the seat of the governors of Lebanon. In the center of the town stands the Fakhreddine Mosque built in the 15th Century. The presence of a synagogue and many churches nearby attests to the religious diversity old Lebanon enjoyed.

Within sight of Emirates Palace, another landmark of the new Abu Dhabi is nearing completion: The Etihad Towers, a stunning group of glass fronted skyscrapers, provide a powerful contrast to the old fashioned wooden boats in the foreground. Both, tradition and modernity contribute to the reflected kaleidoscope of Abu Dhabi Blues.

Lebanon used to be blessed with winter snow and rains that supported abundant agriculture. Fresh vegetables are a daily requirement in Lebanese cuisine and throughout the country vegetable stands are open 24/7 offering the freshest ware stacked in artfully composed arrangements.

Sharjah, one of the northern emirates of the UAE, is rich in mosques built in a variety of styles following historic models. Turkish, Mameluk and Persian examples abound. The minarets of the Al Maghfira Mosque on the Port Khaled waterway feature square, circular and octagonal segments.