On the evening of February 27, 2025, visitors gathered at the Sursock Museum for a long-overdue tribute to Abdel Hamid Baalbaki. More than a retrospective, the exhibition served as a remembrance of a home, a village, and an artist whose work remains deeply tied to the land of the South.
Born in 1940 to a family of farmers in Jabal Amel, Baalbaki’s roots were steeped in the ochre earth of the South, a hue that would later find its way into his canvases. His artistic journey led him to the Lebanese University, where he studied under Rachid Wehbi. Beirut became his home for more than thirty years, but the call of the South was ever-present. Upon returning to Odeisseh, he built not just a house but a sanctuary for knowledge—a library of over two thousand rare books, a testament to his boundless curiosity.
Baalbaki was both a painter and a poet, publishing three poetry collections that revealed his deep relationship with the written word. Literature shaped his artistic vision, and in his final years, he dedicated himself to creating a library on the history of art and literature. This invaluable collection, like his home, was tragically lost to war.
The exhibition unfolds in two movements: the first explores the idea of home as memory, community, and cultural continuity, while the second is an ode to the South—its landscapes, its people, and its resilience. At its heart is War, a mural painted in 1977, first exhibited in 1979 in Warm Injury, a group show dedicated to South Lebanon after its invasion. The work remains as timely as ever.
Baalbaki’s paintings merged contemporary life with historical perspectives. Al-Hajj engaged with modern Arab art debates in Iraq, Baghdad, and Syria, while Ashura, his 1971 diploma project, was exhibited before being lost in the civil war. During the 1970s and 1980s, he documented daily life in Beirut, capturing the dignity of working-class individuals and students.
At the center of this exhibition is a tribute to his architectural drawings and home, which he personally designed, including its furniture. His archives, photographs, and materials honor not only his work but also Southern Lebanese painters. The destruction of his home, like that of other artists, is highlighted in a film by his close friend Hassan Jouni, included in the film..
Several of his most notable works are displayed, including The Reader, The Elderly, The Little Gentleman, each reflecting his commitment to portraying everyday life with dignity. His dedication to accessibility extended beyond painting—he established one of the first galleries in Haret Hreik, Riwaq al Tashquyli in 1995, believing that art should be available to all.
The devastation of Baalbaki’s home is not an isolated incident. The war of 2024 erased entire villages, including the residence of another renowned painter, Hussein Madi, in Chabaa. The damage to Lebanon’s cultural heritage remains largely unassessed, making this exhibition both a tribute and a call to remembrance.
Though sometimes labelled “popular art,” Baalbaki rejected this, stating, “My art is not popular; it is simply the world around me. I want to show the world around me.” The war shaped his artistic approach, slowing time and allowing him to appreciate details that might otherwise have been overlooked, such as the faces of his family.
Baalbaki’s art was never just about representation; it was about belonging. He painted everyday people, the rhythm of Beirut’s streets, and the landscapes that bore witness to history. His brush captured not just images but identities, stories, and time itself. Though his body of work is relatively small, it deeply engaged with Lebanese and Arab identity, responding to key artistic and intellectual debates of his time.
This exhibition is generously supported by the Saadallah and Loubna Khalil Foundation, with in-kind donors Tinol and commercial Insurance ensuring that Baalbaki’s legacy continues to inspire future generations.
Location: Sursock Museum, Ashrafieh
Dates: to