The Emerging Generation
Putting together this exhibition which wants to be the natural continuation of the 'Lebanon: the Artists' View I' exhibition of 1989, has been both challenging and rewarding.
After a lot of soul searching and consultations with Lebanese art experts such as Sylvia Agemian, Joseph Tarrab and Sale Barakat, we thought it best to put forward the generation whose work was artistically mature in spite of the backdrop of the Lebanese war years.
The painters who had reached this maturity in the 70s were expressing emotions drawn on established aesthetic values acquired in the '60s. The younger artists, shown here, had to find new ways to express their pain and anxieties in the face of the horrors inflicted by the war. This led them to explore the usage of new mediums and materials.
The '90s saw the introduction of conceptual and graphic art, demonstrating once more their intense desire to put the isolation caused by the war behind them, hence giving birth to a powerful explosion of artists wanting to reach out to the world.
The result, we feel, is the creation of a cohesive group of painters which portrays very strongly a definite identity stemming from a search of artistic exploration, reconciliation with the past and last but not least, freedom and release of expression.
It has been our privilege to present this group and give them a unique new exposure to the art world in the United Kingdom with the initiative and generous support of the British Lebanese Association.
Nadine Begdache
Janine Rubeiz Gallery
Represented Artists:
Rita Adainy, Nada Akl, Rim Al Jundi, Rima Amyuni, Youssef Aoun, Youmna Asseily, Rita Awn, Julie Bou Farah, Elie Bourgely, Rached Bohsali, Joseph Chahfe, Flavia Codsi, Fulvio Codsi, Mansour El Habre, Bassam Geitani, Fadia Haddad, Dima Hajjar, Joseph Harb, Houssam Hatoum, Lamia Joreige, Aram Jughian, Nadim Karam, Joe Kesrouani, Amale Freiha Khlat, Charles Khoury, Rafic Majzoub, Theo Mansour, Romanos Moukarzel, Jean-Marc Nahas, Rita Nakhel, Greta Naufal, Rana Raouda, Raouf Rifai, Ghada Saghieh, Nada Sehnaoui, Hanibal Srouji, Tanbak, Alain Tasso, Anita Toutikian,