(1915 - 1990)

A glance at my artistic life

I was born in 1915 at Bijje, of the Byblos district, where I attended its elementary school. From there I moved to Mayfouk and the Frères Maristes of Byblos in pursuit of my education.

Since my early days, I was fond of drawing, painting and designing with mud. I was especially attracted by colorful school books which were ornamented with pictures; unfortunately, such books were not easily available in those days. As long as I can remember, I have been in love with nature always ready for hiking in woods, mountains, valleys, caves and grottoes, and charmed with the beauty and variety of its creatures. I was also fond of studying, memorizing poetry and reading Gibran and other Lebanese and French writers.

At first, I practiced copying pictures from books and natural scenery surrounding me. This hobby kept growing until I was able to express my emotions and imaginations in painting and coloring with primitive means. I always tried to scrutinizing in drawing real things and adjusting their forms to my own intentions.

Later on, I discovered by chance, the possibility of direct carving on stones. I saw a boy from my village carving a smooth stone with his knife and enticed him to show me the place where he got it from. I brought plenty oh them and began following and adjusting them in my own way. I liked this method and practiced it without neglecting painting and drawing in my own means, in a place that is badly in need of facilitation, guidance, and encouragement. Upon discovering the historical city of Byblos and beginning excavations in it, I was still a youth. Yet I was asked to help in the digging and remodeling of the discovered pots and brick containers. I worked there for two years under the direction of the French archeologist Maurice Dunand. Those jobs and excavations had a deep effect on me; they made me love historic traces and common places. They also initiated in me the conceptions of the great heritage of my country, made me attached to its sacred soil, and practice the deep research into our old historical culture.

In 1932 I attended the Vocational and Arts school of Beirut with a promise by its administration that a branch for painting and carving would soon be started in it. I stayed there for two years during which I gained some principles in the arts of industrial painting and modeling through the two teachers: Ziadé and Altounian. When they failed to start the new branch, I left the place to continue my individual work.

While in Beirut, I got acquainted with some well-known artists like Caesar Gemayel, Moustafa Farroukh, Omar Onsi and many others. I visited their studios and benefited from their experience and guidance in painting and coloring.

During World War II, I was compelled to work for the administration of the Damascus Railroad Company. I, therefore, moved to Damascus to stay for three months after which I left to work for a crew of the British army that manufactured "bluffing statues". This new job was close to my hobby. For a short time, I worked in the same field for the French army in Dbayeh, Lebanon and stayed there till the end of the war.

After the war was over, I taught the principles of drawing, Arabic and French for six years in different schools: The school of Our lady of Mayfouk, The school of the Disciples of Jounieh and the school of the Maronite Monks in Byblos. Meanwhile, I kept on working hard on my artistic hobby. Later on, I taught the principles of molding and carving for the students of architectural engineering and drawing at the School of Fine Arts of the Lebanese University since it was established and for a period of three years.

At the beginning of my artistic life, I got acquainted with the poet and artist Charles Corm. My relationship with him had a great influence on guiding and encouraging me and in deepening my knowledge of our national heritage. Corm was the first coordinator and collector of our scattered heritage; he also was the first to gear the spirit of a renaissance in art and literature in a complete generation of Lebanese poets, writers and artists proceeding and following Independence. He left in my charge the accomplishment of several carvings after choosing their titles from the Phoenician heritage, among which fifty were on Lebanese rock. He wanted to add these to the New York International Exhibition in 1939; He was the successful coordinator, the sacrificer and the chief representative of the Lebanese Government. From this exhibit, I received an honorary diploma.

After the artist, Joseph Howayyek came back from Europe in 1940 to settle finally in Lebanon. I helped him in accomplishing his carvings in his studio which Charles Corm had built for him in his home garden, I accompanied Howayyek closely. As a result of this, our relationship grew tighter and lasted until his death in 1962.

In 1947 and for one year I practiced the principles of molding in making statues in the Lebanese Academy for Fine Arts in Beirut under the direction of the artist Georges Cash.

In 1949 I left to Rome with a partial financial aid from the Lebanese Government. I studied in Rome for two years, the second of which was financed by the Italian Government.

While in Rome I became a member of the Fine Arts Academy as well as the Medal School where I pursued my studies. At the end of the second years, I sat for an official exam and wrote a thesis on the History of the Italian Art Renaissance, As a result of this I got an academic license and the First prize in the Medal School for the year 1951. Among my teachers in the two schools were: Michael Guerrisi, Rivosechi, and Romagnoli. During those two years, I did some evening work in artistic painting with the «International Art Ring» in Rome. I also visited all the historical places in Italy, Paris and some French cities.

After returning from Rome in 1952, I started a studio in Beirut and another in my village, Bijje, for winter and summer consecutively.
Since 1953, I have participated in all art exhibitions that the ministry of education held for the spring and autumn seasons in the UNESCO and other places in Beirut, I also participated in private exhibitions in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon. Of those, I mention the exhibitions of Beit Meri and Jounieh.

I also had my share abroad in the exhibitions of Naples and the «biennale» of Alexandria.

In 1964, I held a private exhibit in Saint-Georges School of Byblos which included over a hundred different carvings of full size, half statues, symbolic statues, medals and carvings in relief in different aesthetical, expressionistic and moralistic fields.

My works are distributed among Lebanon, Italy France, USA, South–America, Egypt, and several Arab countries, I can not count all my works which vary between two and three thousand different pieces, However, I will mention some them:

Large statues: Father Yacoub the Capucin in Deir Es-Saleeb, Dr. Rasheed Maatouk in Kfarhelda, «Fruits of Lebanon» placed in the garden of the Ministry of Agriculture in Beirut, the Monument of the Flag in Jib–Jannine, Abou-Khalil in Dar As–Sayyad Lebanese Emigration, «Elan» , El Baal of Byblos , placed in my Bijje studio.

Bust statues and carving in relief: Khalil Gibran, Chibli Mallat, Bechara El Khoury «Akhtal As–Sagheer» Maroun Abboud, Rasheed Nakhlé, Boulos Salameh, Salah Labaki, Boutros Boustany, Pepinianos, Ulpianos, Patriarch Istefan Douwaihi, Wadie Boustany, Issa Iskandar Maalouf, Akl El-Jorr, Fouad E. Boustany, Fouad Haddad, Habbuba Naddad, Emile Boustany, Rasheed El-Khazen, Clovis El-Khazen , Wadie Hubeish, Dr. Ayyoub Tabet, President Emile Eddé, President Camille Chamoun, Said Akl , Fuad Khishen, Emir Abdul Aziz Chehab, Hassan Abu Ismail, Father Youssef Hayek, Saiid Fadel Akl, Rev. Tanios Saad, Dr. Antoine Suaid, Dr. Richard Jbara, Emile Makhlouf, Melvin Shaarawi, Salma Sayegh, Emir Fakhredin II, Emir Bechir II, Patriarch Maiushi, Archbishop Boutros Chibli, Jirjis Tayyar, Saiid Frayha, Maurice Sakr, Father Charbel Makhlouf, Father Youssef Haddad, Elias Chibl El Khoury, Charles Corm, Tanios Chahine, Abou Samra Ghanem, Feyruz, Abdallah Lahoud, Ghantous Rami, Raymond Eddé, Pierre Gemayyel, President Fouad Chehab, Mrs. Elias Nammour, Mikael Noaymeh.

Solid sketches: Motherhood, National Liberation, Ambition, Justice, Jurisdiction, Poetry and wine, Kadmus, The Alphabets, Phoenician activities, Lebanese Dablé, The Phoenician Sailor, Imam Al Ozaiie, A student, Kadmus the first teacher, etc…

Medals and coins: Memorial medals for Iraqi projects. Symbolic medals for the Syrian army, Yemeni coins, Lebanese five and ten Piastres coins …

As to my favorite hobbies, I could say they include the following: Reading scientific and historical researches, sociological subjects, and writing every now and then on subjects concerning art, criticism, and sociology.