Saloua Raouda Choucair
Encyclopedia
Saloua Raouda Choucair, born in 1916 in Beirut
, is a Lebanese
painter
and sculptor
. She was the first abstract art
ist in Lebanon though she sold nothing there until 1962.
She started painting in the studios of Lebanese painters Moustafa Farroukh
(1935) and Omar Onsi
(1942). Her exhibition in 1947 at the Arab Cultural Gallery in Beirut is considered to have been the Arab world's first abstract painting
exhibition.
} In 1948 she left Lebanon and went to Paris, where she studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts
and attended Fernand Léger
's studio. In 1950, she was one of the first Arab artists to participate in the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles
in Paris and had in 1951 a solo exhibition at Colette Allendy's gallery, which was better received in Paris than in Beirut.
In 1959 she began to concentrate on sculpture, which became her main preoccupation in 1962. In 1963, she was awarded the National Council of Tourism Prize for the execution of a stone sculpture for a public site in Beirut. In 1974, the Lebanese Artists Association sponsored an honorary retrospective exhibition of her work at the National Council of Tourism in Beirut. In 1985, she won an appreciation prize from the General Union of Arab Painters. In 1988, she was awarded a medal by the Lebanese government. A retrospective exhibition is presented at the Beirut Exhibition Center
in 2011.
Choucair's work has been considered as one of the best examples of the spirit of abstraction characteristic of Arabic visual art, completely disconnected from the observation of nature and inspired by Arabic geometric art.
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, is a Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
. She was the first abstract art
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
ist in Lebanon though she sold nothing there until 1962.
She started painting in the studios of Lebanese painters Moustafa Farroukh
Moustafa Farroukh
Moustafa Farroukh was one of Lebanon's most prominent painters of the 20th century. During his famed career, Farroukh produced over 2000 paintings most of which were acquired by collectors both in Lebanon and abroad...
(1935) and Omar Onsi
Omar Onsi
Omar Onsi, 1901–1969, in Arabic , a pioneer of modern painting in Lebanon, is Lebanon's most renowned impressionist painter.Onsi was born in Beirut. His father, a general practitioner, had been one of the first Beirut Muslims to study modern Western medicine and his mother came from the prominent...
(1942). Her exhibition in 1947 at the Arab Cultural Gallery in Beirut is considered to have been the Arab world's first abstract painting
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
exhibition.
} In 1948 she left Lebanon and went to Paris, where she studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts
École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts
The École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts is the distinguished National School of Fine Arts in Paris, France.The École des Beaux-arts is made up of a vast complex of buildings located at 14 rue Bonaparte, between the quai Malaquais and the rue Bonaparte, in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Près,...
and attended Fernand Léger
Fernand Léger
Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
's studio. In 1950, she was one of the first Arab artists to participate in the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles
Salon des Réalités Nouvelles
The Salon des Réalités Nouvelles is an association of artists and an art exhibition in Paris, focusing on abstract art.A first exhibition with the name was held in 1939 in Galerie Charpentier, organised by Robert Delaunay, Sonia Delaunay, Nelly van Doesburg and Fredo Sidès.In 1946 the Salon was...
in Paris and had in 1951 a solo exhibition at Colette Allendy's gallery, which was better received in Paris than in Beirut.
In 1959 she began to concentrate on sculpture, which became her main preoccupation in 1962. In 1963, she was awarded the National Council of Tourism Prize for the execution of a stone sculpture for a public site in Beirut. In 1974, the Lebanese Artists Association sponsored an honorary retrospective exhibition of her work at the National Council of Tourism in Beirut. In 1985, she won an appreciation prize from the General Union of Arab Painters. In 1988, she was awarded a medal by the Lebanese government. A retrospective exhibition is presented at the Beirut Exhibition Center
Beirut International Exhibition & Leisure Center
The Beirut International Exhibition & Leisure Center is a large multi-purpose facility, in downtown Beirut. Lebanon's largest such complex, it hosts exhibitions , conferences, concerts and private events. It opened on 28 November 2001.British pop musician Phil Collins in 2005 took a part of a...
in 2011.
Choucair's work has been considered as one of the best examples of the spirit of abstraction characteristic of Arabic visual art, completely disconnected from the observation of nature and inspired by Arabic geometric art.
External links
- Anne Mullin Burnham, 1994, Reflections in Women's Eyes, Saudi Aramco World
- Choucair's web site