Chronicle of a City

Born in Beirut, Lebanon. Lives and works in Berlin. Cars have played a decisive role in the fate of Lebanon and its people, be it as objects of desire, of prestige and luxury, leisure and freedom or as deadly weapons. The paintings of this series relate to major car bombings, they stand out as monuments of destruction, as silent witnesses to the wounds of the city. Without being realistic documents based upon their actual appearance, they gain an eternal quality and become archetypical sites of violence, recalling in the minds of the onlookers the news relating to the specific incidents without actually showing it.

Set against dark or fiery skies, the cars convey an apocalyptic mood. Like malicious toys, these Janus faced objects appear playful, almost doll-like at one moment, only to release their entire destructive force, bringing death and mutilation next. The innocent enchanters turn upon those who seek to control them, always keeping the last word in this absurd game.