Interview with Lebanese Artist Saadeh George

What got you interested in art?

“I am a visual person, stimulated by shapes and colours – even letters and numbers seem to have their own colours!

Ever since I was a child of 3 or 4, my late mother would say that I could spend endless hours with colouring pencils and paper – drawing and painting were always my best companions. In primary school, the boys were supposed to draw and paint while girls were taught sewing, which used to infuriate me, both the discrimination and the fact that I preferred art. In high school I managed to do more art. At medical school, I would go to private evening or weekend art lessons. It is my haven and salvation!”

Was that at high school in Lebanon? Do you think that attitude to boys’ and girls’ education has affected the ratio of male to female artists at present?

“Yes I think high schools especially religious or sectarian ones seem to make sure they are reinforcing the stereotypical roles of women in the house and kitchen! Certainly in those years, hopefully it doesn’t happen anymore these days – There is more awareness of gender equality and hopefully more attempts to promote it. Perhaps in the more open and educated backgrounds, girls don’t have to play only with dolls or only knit and cook unless that’s what they chose to do.”

Do you have a preferred medium and why?

“At the moment, the collagraph is my medium as I can spend hours engraving, collating and then inking and printing. The whole process absorbs me and takes me on an inward journey where memories, images, and moods are explored and expressed. The results are always a surprise each time as different parts of the original plate print differently and the colors are changed with each print.”

What mediums have you worked with in the past?

“I have explored any and every medium I came across, oil was the first one I used in the beginning but nowadays, the medium is there to serve the idea being expressed and an artist can use multiple media even on one canvas or board or paper, provided they work together well. The understanding of the medium chemistry is essential for knowing with what to mix and how to use it.”

Where do you gather your inspiration?

“Inspiration seems to come from objects of beauty, outstanding landscapes or seascapes. These in turn evoke memories or feelings or moods that then become something else and perhaps not related to anything that preceded them? Raw images of shapes and colors, dance and movement, all feature in many of my art works.”

You are currently working on a project inspired by Beirut, is that right? How does Beirut inspire you?

“Indeed, Beirut is where I saw the light so to speak – although I was not born in Beirut, my very first witnessing of gorgeous light and sunsets was from our balcony in our village home overlooking Beirut and the sea. Even moonlight reflected on the sea. I used to wake up at 4am in order to witness that!

After having lived in London for 7 years continuously during the war, I remember our first visit back home, how the light and the vivid colours there struck me. It was a year when I produced a big amount of art just being stimulated by the fantastic light and colors. It suddenly struck me as so magical that my sketchbook and camera became my best companions that summer!

There is one place that is also very close to my heart. Every time I go back home, I have to make a pilgrimage to this Mecca of mine and it is the Beirut Cornishe where I can smell and feel the sea breeze. It is amazing, and different depending on the season, even during violent thunder and rain storms, when the waves are majestically throwing and thrashing everything about and the colours are changing as you stand and watch. I am currently working on a watercolour project of it. I chose watercolour for this as it is an immediate and transparent medium just like the raw emotions that that place evokes in my consciousness.”

What do you find is your biggest challenge in creating art?

“The creative process is quite complex and there are many times when I have had artist’s block but nowadays you can find online tricks to deal with it. After a long time of practicing art, you start to understand the process and how to keep the creative juices flowing. Keeping up the practice is the secret as one drawing or painting brings on other images and ideas. Keeping a sketchbook handy to record any fleeting inspiration is another good trick.”