Kaph Books

Octavian Esanu

Octavian Esanu is Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut and curator of AUB Art Galleries. In his artistic career, he has performed many roles, from socialist realist to contemporary artist, art administrator, curator, critic, editor and, more recently, researcher of Soviet/Russian and Middle Eastern art. He was the founding director of the Soros Center for Contemporary Art, Chisinau (1995–9) and author of such publications as: What Does “Why” Mean? (J&L Books, 2005); Transition in Post-Soviet Art (CEU, 2013); ARTMargins special issue “Art Periodicals Today” (2016); Art, Awakening and Modernity in the Middle East: The Arab Nude (Routledge 2017).