MOLAEB
Overview
This inaugural retrospective volume unveils the œuvre of Lebanese artist Jamil Molaeb (b. 1948) and marks a seminal moment in the appreciation of his artistic legacy. Through a meticulous curation of his diverse works employing various media, encompassing drawings, sculptures, paintings, prints, and etchings, the aim of this publication is to recount Molaeb’s artistic journey and secure his place within the history of Arab modern art.
Central to this endeavor are the never-be- fore-seen artworks that will provide readers with an explanation of Molaeb’s creative evolution. While the texts in each chapter contains visual analysis, they are also based on primary documents such as exhibition reviews as well as personal interviews with the artist. Secondary sources, including books written by Molaeb as well as academic studies and articles on various subjects related to each chapter, were referenced.
Organized thematically rather than adhering strictly to a chronological framework, the structure of the book affords a nuanced exploration of Molaeb’s multifaceted body of work. Each chapter is dedicated to a particular theme, providing a focused examination of the produced work.
About the Artist
Jamil Molaeb
Jamil Molaeb, born in 1948 in Baissour, Lebanon, began his artistic career in the 1970s after studying under renowned artists Chafic Abboud and Paul Guiragossian. In 1967, he won the 3rd prize in sculpture at the 7th Salon of the Sursock Museum. He studied in Algeria, obtained a Master of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute, and a doctorate in artistic education from Ohio State University. In 1989, he returned to Lebanon to teach at the Lebanese University and Lebanese American University of Beirut. Since 1966, he has held solo exhibitions in various countries and participated in art fairs. His works have been showcased in international museums, acquired by notable collections, and sold in international auctions. His work is permanently exhibited at Galerie Janine Rubeiz, and in 2015, he established the Jamil Molaeb Museum in Baissour, Mount-Lebanon.
About the Authors
Carine Chelhot Lemyre
Carine Chelhot Lemyre is a writer and historian of visual culture based in Beirut, Lebanon, holding a PhD in Art History from the University of St Andrews (2023). Her doctoral research explored the works and visual technologies employed by the nineteenth-century photography studio La Maison Bonfils (1867-1914), based in Beirut, Lebanon, and established by the French photographer Félix Bonfils (1831-1885) and his wife, Marie-Lydie Cabanis (1837-1918). Her broader research interests include the study of visual materials such as photography and painting and their manifestation through the relationships between travel, commerce, and colonialism in the Ottoman Empire during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Lemyre’s studies were supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund (CCSF), as well as several travel grants from the Society for the Study of French History (SSFH) and the Society for French Studies (SSFH), among others. She holds a BA in Studio Art with a minor in Philosophy from the American University of Beirut (2016), and an MA in Art History from the University of Toronto, supported by the W. Bernard Herman Scholarship in Art (2017). Currently, she is a senior lecturer at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA).
Ribal Molaeb
Ribal Molaeb (b. 1992, Baissour, Lebanon) is a painter and musician based in Zürich, Switzerland. He studied at Mozarteum University Salzburg and earned his Master’s in Arts with distinction from the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. He is the artistic director of “SUMITO” in Switzerland and founder of the “Molaeb Festival for Chamber Music and Fine Arts” in Lebanon. His work has been exhibited internationally, including solo shows at Volta Basel Art Fair 2024 and Zürich Art Fair 2024, and is part of the Museum of Arab Art in Paris (IMA). Represented by Saleh Barakat Gallery (Lebanon) and Mizoe Art Gallery (Japan), Ribal’s paintings reflect the serenity of nature, influenced by Lebanese abstract expressionists and his background in classical music.
Adonis
Adonis is a Syrian poet, essayist and translator. Maya Jaggi, writing for The Guardian stated "He led a modernist revolution in the second half of the 20th century, "exerting a seismic influence" on Arabic poetry comparable to T.S. Eliot's in the anglophone world." Adonis's publications include twenty volumes of poetry and thirteen of criticism. His dozen books of translation to Arabic include the poetry of Saint-John Perse and Yves Bonnefoy, and the first complete Arabic translation of Ovid's "Metamorphoses" (2002). His multi-volume anthology of Arabic poetry ("Dīwān ash-shi'r al-'arabī"), covering almost two millennia of verse, has been in print since its publication in 1964. A perennial contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature, Adonis has been described as the greatest living poet of the Arab world.
Technical Details
- Publication Date:
- Saturday, February 1, 2025
- Language:
- English and Arabic
- Format:
- Hardcover
- Dimensions:
- 29 x 32.5 cm
- Weight:
- 0.7
- ISBN:
- 978-614-8035-84-5
- Number of Pages:
- 296
- Publisher:
- Kaph Books
- Categories:
- Art Books