Transcendentalism from Lebanon and Syria

25 April 2013

BEIRUT: The “AFAK” exhibition series has become a defining feature of Saifi’s Maqam Art Gallery.

The sixth edition of the show of work by Lebanese and Syrian artists, entitled “Passages,” features paintings by Lebanon’s Hussein Hussein and Syria’s Zavien Yousaf, along with marble sculptures by Syria’s Abir Wahib.

Hussein’s 22 mixed media-on-canvas works explore notions of spiritual passages. His work, he informed The Daily Star, grapples with “a rupture with the soul, a transcendental shift to a spiritual level.”

In some of Hussein’s works, the canvas itself is torn as a means of expressing the physical path from one perspective to another. For Hussein, the canvas should not be seen as an artistic medium alone, but more as an intermediary leading to a new horizon.

As the artist explains it, there is indeed a great deal of spirituality in Hussein’s works.

There is a surfeit of sombre colors in the artist’s paintings – hues of dark pink, black and brown protrude from the canvas, which may leave some curious about the artist’s objective.

When asked about the purpose of using gloomy colors to depict a mystical experience, Hussein confessed he had always used this color palette, even when rendering landscapes.

The titles of Hussein’s works plunge viewers into an abyss of spiritual passage – “Transcendance” (“Transcendence”), “Decomposition Transcendentale” (“Transcendental Decomposition”) and “Transfiguration de la Memoire” (“Memory’s Transfiguration”) guide the onlooker into the depth of analysis required to “get” the painting.

Hussein’s works won’t appeal to everyone but they do command a certain empathy.

“Marche vers l’Infini” (“A Walk to Infinity”) finds a wooden panel on the floor with several pairs of shoes glued upon it. They are arrayed to appear as though they’re about to step into a screen, upon which is projected a video of the feet of someone walking.

Hung on the wall above the screen is a triptych representing people moving en masse through a forest. Written on the upper part of the canvas is the word “sterile,” symbolizing, Hussein explained, people’s inability to know where they are going in their lives.

Whether Christian or Muslim, Hussein believes, we all walk toward the unknown without taking a moment for reflection to decide what we really want.

The show also displays 15-odd abstract marbles by Wahib, each of which betray the inspiration she draws from everyday life. “I work only when I’m in a good mood,” she said, “because it can show in the work.”

The artist later opined that she derived the inspiration for her work from looking at “a rock, a donkey or [her] walks.”

Though abstract, these curvy sculptures enable the viewer to decipher whether it is an animal or human being they are looking at. The pieces emanate an impression of tranquility and joy. Though cold in aspect, these marble works are redolent with sentimentality.

The artist draws a parallel between sculpture and music.

“Both have rhythms,” she said, “whether slow or fast.”

Indeed, the more you look at Wahib’s artwork, the more it creates a sort of harmony – as though musical notes were forming on a music sheet.

Yousaf’s 12 untitled acrylic- and oil-on-canvas paintings draw onlookers into a wilderness vista. Although animal are absent, the green, blue, and brown hues immerse one within natural scenery, as though inside a thick forest.

These abstract representations may not appeal to everyone, and some viewers may find themselves left adrift.

“AFAK 6: Passages” is now up at Saifi’s Maqam Art Gallery until May 3. For more information, please call 03-292-576.