HUGUETTE CALAND
B. 1931 IN BEIRUT, LEBANON, D.
2019 IN BEIRUT, LEBANON
Interviewee: Brigitte Caland
Relationship: Daughter
Facebook : Huguette Caland Art
Instagram : Huguettecaland
Email: huguettecaland@verizon.net
Exhibitions
2022 “Huguette Caland: Tête-à-Tête,” Wiels Museum, Brussels, Belgium
2021 “Huguette Caland: Tête-à-Tête,” The Drawing Center, New York
2021 “Kissing Life,” The Arts Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2021 “Bronzes,” Kayne Griffin Gallery, Los Angeles
2020 “Faces and Places,” Mathaf Modern, Doha, Qatar
2019 Tate St Ives, Cornwall, UK
2018 “Early Work: 1964,” Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Beirut
2018 “Exhibition 2: Huguette Caland,” IAIA, New York
2016 “Silent Letters”, Nathalie Karg Gallery, New York
2015 “Bronzes,” Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Beirut
2014 “Early Works: 1970-85,” Lombard Freid Gallery, New York
2013 “Retrospective 1964-2012,” Beirut Exhibition Center
2011 “Undercover,” Peter Findlay Gallery, New York
2011 “Mes Jeunes Années,” Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Beirut
2010 “Caché,” Caché, Venice
2009 “Silent Memories,” Janine Rubeiz Gallery, Beirut
2009 “Autumn,” LA Contemporary, Los Angeles
2009 “Silent Memories,” Peter Findlay Gallery, New York
2006 “Rossinantes,” Janine Rubeiz Gallery, Beirut
2006 Samy Kinge Gallery, Paris
2005 Michael’s, Santa Monica, California
2003 “Introspective,” Janine Rubeiz Gallery, Beirut
2001 “Silent Letters,” Sami Kinge Gallery, Paris
2000 “L’argent,” Janine Rubeiz Gallery, Beirut
1999 “Silent Letters and Touchables,” Off Main Gallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica
1998 “Scapes & Escapes,” Elena Zass Gallery, Laguna Beach
1997 “Faces and Places II,” Janine Rubeiz Gallery, Beirut
1994 “Faces and Places I,” Janine Rubeiz Gallery, Beirut
1992 Gallery 5, Santa Monica
1992 Toepel Gallery, Kirkland, Washington
1992 Bella Interiors Gallery, Santa Monica
1980 Faris Gallery, Paris
1973 Contact Gallery, Beirut
1972 Delta Gallery, Beirut
1970 Dar El Fan, Beirut
Museums and Private Collections
MOMA, TATE Modern, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, LACMA, Armand Hammer Museum, British Museum,
Centre Pompidou, Mathaf Museum Qatar, Sharjah Art Foundation, Paris Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris Fondation National d’Art Contemporain, Barjeel Art Foundation- EAU, Kamel Lazaar Foundation-Tunis, San Diego Museum of Art, Palm Springs Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation, etc.
Illustrations and Publications
2017 The Playful Provocations (and Erotic Kaftans) of the Lebanese Artist Huguette Caland, by Dana Goodyear, The New Yorker.
2017 Huguette Caland, Everything Takes the Shape of a Person. Aram Moshayedi, editor, Skira Publishing.
2013 Huguette Caland, Works 1964-2012, Solidere, Beirut
1986 Huguette Caland by Raoul Jean Moulin, illustrated with color reproductions of paintings, drawings and sculptures, Edition SMI, Paris.
1982 Five drawings for the magazine “Neighborhood” New York (August).
1972 Ink drawing for the frontispiece of “Sade, système de l’agression”, by Noelle Chatelet, Editions Aubier- Montaigne, Paris.
Symposium
1994 Summer symposium of Asilah in July-August, Asilah, Morocco
Media/Screenplays
1979 Conceived the story idea and acted in Hubert Glotte, a short film realised by Maryse Ebely.
1978-79 Sysphia, screenplay written in collaboration with Maryse Ebely.
Sculptures
2014 Fabricated 11 bronzes (edition of 3) from terracotta works made in 1984-5.
2011-2014 Produced 14 sculptures in the Rossinante series, clay and pâpier maché.
1984-1985 Produced over 30 sculptures in terra cotta, Paris
1984-1985 Produced 5 sculptures from blocks of wood and granite cut by George Apostu, Limousin, France.
Publications
Huguette Caland: Tête-à-Tête (Spring 2021)
ISBN: 978-0942324334
TDC The Drawing Center, 187 pages
With contributions by Marwa Arsanios,
Mirene Arsanios, Hannah Feldman,
Claire Gilman
Huguette Caland (Fall 2019)
ISBN: 978-1-84976-679-1
TATE Publishing, 96 pages
By Anne Barlow
Huguette Caland: Everything Takes the
Shape of a Person (2017)
ISBN: 978-88-572-35554-7
SKIRA editore S.p.A., 191 pages
Edited by Aram Moshayedi
Huguette Caland (2013)
Solidere, Galerie Janine Rubeiz
Edited by John Carswell
Out of print and no ISBN
Biography of Huguette Caland
Huguette Caland (1931–2019), born in Beirut, Lebanon, took her first painting lessons at 16 with Manetti, an Italian artist living in Lebanon. After the death of her father, Beshara el Khoury, one of the founders of the Lebanese independence and its first President, Caland decided to pursue her dream to become an artist. After spending four years at the American University of Beirut where she studied Fine Arts, Caland moved to Paris in 1970. Liberated from social obligations she was able to blossom and meet many contemporary artists. In 1987, she moved to California where she established the studio of her dreams. From 1994 on, she was represented by Galerie Janine Rubeiz in Beirut, who championed her work in the Middle East and Europe.
Caland’s art is regularly featured in solo exhibitions and in group shows all over the world and has been acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, MOMA, Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, La Bibliothèque Nationale, The British Museum, LACMA, Armand Hammer, Museum of Fine Art Houston, Sharjah Art Foundation, Barjeel Art Foundation-EAU, Kamel Lazaar Foundation-Tunis, Palm Springs Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Art, F. Weissman Art Foundation, as well as collections in the United States of America, South America, the Middle East, and Europe.
Interview with Brigitte Caland
My mother Huguette Caland wanted me to manage her work. She just wanted to work, so she would ask me to take care of things. She became a high-profile artist towards the end of her life, but for a long time we just enjoyed being together, travelling together, and it was about how much fun we could have. Sometimes, a memory comes back to me out of the blue that makes me wish we could still laugh together.
When my mother realised that her husband was going to die, she decided to come back to Lebanon to say goodbye to him. They had been separated for years, but they used
to talk to each other at least once or twice a week, despite the distance. I think she realised that this might be the last time she would fly because she said a few things to friends in Los Angeles that made me think that she was conscious of this. Later, a physical issue prevented her from flying anymore, so I stayed with her. At that time, she was happy to have me and other friends around. She was well taken care of by a team of doctors.
Managing her work began in earnest in 2005. Today it is quite an intensive part of my life in terms of time and responsibility, but I have my own life as well. We are not registered as a foundation yet. For the time being, we are working on things that need to be done, such as conserving paintings. I have archives, an inventory, a catalogue raisonné, and a studio in Los Angeles, which is in the house where my mother used to live. The studio is not a public space, but we do receive and accommodate, especially for research. Everything is classified and very well archived, and the team of artists and archivists that work with us all have degrees from leading universities. It is a very serious task. The catalogue raisonné is not at a point where I can say it is complete as my mother gave a lot away and things were stolen during the war in Lebanon. A lot of things were sold as soon as they were produced, and we have no trace of them.
In total there are about 2,500 pieces, and we are starting to document not only the authentic paintings but also the fake signatures. Having been close to my mother for 30 years, I know her authentic signature. Forgery is part of what happens when an artist gains recognition. My first experience of a fake was when my mother was alive. We were having dinner and I received a picture of the work. It made us both laugh.
I would never provide a certificate based on a photo. If I can physically see the work and make sure that it fits the criteria, then I would. We don’t charge for this service, but if I have any doubts, I want to have the freedom to decline because of it.
My mother’s work exists in the collections of the MET, MOMA, and other major museums. There isn’t much left to sell, and we are keeping most of what we have for the collection. My favourite works include “Bribes de Corps” because it is an obvious representation of my mother. “The Silent Letter” and that entire series is magical for me.
Images are Courtesy of Studio Huguette Caland.
A VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN PRINT IN SELECTIONS #59 MODERN ART AND ARTIST ESTATES: WAYS, WORKS AND ARCHIVES – VOL I