Solidere officially inaugurated the retrospective exhibition for famed Lebanese artist Shafik Abboud. Curated by Nadine Bekdash and Saleh Barakat and originally initiated by Claude Lemand, the exhibition is featuring more than 100 paintings and various sculpture artworks, displayed for the first time in the artist\u2019s home country. Shafik Abboud\u2019s works are deeply influenced by international political and social events. The artist is a key figure in the contemporary art scene, whether in Lebanon or in the Arab World notably in the second half of the 20th century. His thinking is greatly moved by tales and images of the colorful local culture of Mount Lebanon\u2019s villages, while his point of view was widely shaped by the icons and rites of the Byzantine church.<\/p>\n
At a later stage of his career, Abboud\u2019s cultural formation was inspired by writings, debates, struggles and higher values characterizing the Arab Renaissance, a movement described as revolutionary and anticlerical. The artist imposes his own artistic style and is recognized by critics as a disciple of the Parisian school of art. Abboud interrupted his studies in architecture in 1946, choosing to enroll at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts. He moved to Paris in 1947 where he frequented the atelier of Andre Lutte in 1949 and developed his style under Fernand Leger in 1951. He then enrolled as a free student (1956-1962) at the \u201cEcole Nationale Des Beaux Arts\u201d in the French Capital.<\/p>\n
Post World War II, Abboud was totally swept by the art life same as many creative minds who came to settle in France from all around the world, looking to be inspired by modern thinking schools established by big French artists who shaped the history of art in the 20th century. Such artists included Pierre Bonnard, Roger Bissiere and Nicolas de Sta\u00ebl. Shafik Abboud remains one of the key icons of the art and culture life in Beirut – the City of light in the Arab World – specifically during the city\u2019s Golden era between the 50\u2019s and 70s. The artist was awarded the \u201cVictor Choquet\u201d Prize (French Minister of Finance) as well as the Sursock Museum Prize in 1964. In addition, his 1994 comeback exhibition in the Lebanese Capital registered a startling success from all perspectives after 17 years of absence from his home country.<\/p>\n
Abboud was considered the first Arab artist in Paris to regularly showcase his art. In 1959, he participated in the first Biennale of the \u201cFoire Internationale d\u2019Art Contemporain\u201d(FIAC) in the French Capital. Throughout his career, Abboud organized more than 50 solo exhibitions in Lebanon, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and the United States. He also participated in collective showcases (Salons, Biennales, (FIAC) and was a member of the \u201cNew Realism Salon\u201d Committee. Claude Lemand held a retrospective for the artist at the Arab World Institute, Paris in 2011.<\/p>\n
Special Formula:<\/strong>On the sides of the Beirut Exhibition Center\u2019s retrospective, special workshops for kids will be open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. <\/p>\n These activities taking place simultaneously with the exhibition will focus on Abboud\u2019s legacy and other artists\u2019 works.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Solidere officially inaugurated the retrospective exhibition for famed Lebanese artist Shafik Abboud.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":539125,"template":"","tags":[],"class_list":["post-15410","directory","type-directory","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exhibitions"],"yoast_head":"\n