Beirut’s art scene offers an array of exhibitions this week, highlighting the city’s dynamic cultural pulse. From Mazen Rifai’s exploration of light and form at Agial Art Gallery to Daisy Abi Jaber’s introspective works at Mark Hachem Gallery, these shows delve into themes of landscape, memory, and identity. Haibat Balaa Bawab’s Timeless Traditions at Art on 56th Gallery reflects on Beirut’s urban and cultural life, while Galerie Tanit’s Bittersweet Symphony showcases a collective celebration of creativity. Also opening this week at LT Gallery is Fatima Mortada’s solo exhibition An Imagined Life, an intimate narrative bridging past and present.
Mazen Rifai ‘Amorous Colour’ at Agial Art Gallery
16 January – 22 February, 2025

Mazen Rifai’s Amorous Colour at Agial Art Gallery explores the modernist tradition of Lebanese landscape painting with a focus on light, colour, and form. Drawing inspiration from Baalbek and the Bekaa Valley, Rifai’s layered canvases navigate a delicate balance between abstraction and reality. The interplay of warm and cool tones, and soft and hard edges, creates a dynamic tension that captivates the viewer. With a career spanning decades, Rifai’s latest works transcend traditional landscape forms, hinting at human and emotional dimensions. This exhibition offers a meditation on Lebanon’s natural and cultural heritage.

Daisy Abi Jaber ‘Behind the Image’ at Mark Hachem Gallery Beirut
16 – 30 January 2025

Daisy Abi Jaber, Behind The Image at Mark Hachem Gallery reflects the idea of uncovering hidden layers beneath what is immediately visible. Inspired by shattered stained-glass fragments from the August 4 explosion, the artist embarked on a journey of unrestrained assembly, blending glass, lead, pigments, and canvas to channel the event’s emotional resonance. These vibrant works intertwine colour, form, and poetic haikus to convey fleeting emotions and moments of astonishment. Over three years, Abi Jaber has crafted a collection that explores identity, memory, and transformation. The intricate compositions invite viewers to delve deeper, revealing the nuanced interplay between emotion and artistic expression.

Haibat Balaa Bawab ‘Timeless Traditions’ at Art on 56th Gallery
17 January – 8 February, 2025

Renowned for her collage and painting, Haibat Balaa Bawab presents Timeless Traditions at Art on 56th Gallery. Rooted in Beirut’s vibrant life and Lebanon’s diverse landscapes, her works weave stories of daily life, memory, and resilience. This series, created during tumultuous times, reflects her journey of emotional survival through art. The abstraction in her mixed-media collages on cardboard and canvas reveals layers of meaning, from intimate personal experiences to shared cultural histories. With decades of teaching and exhibitions worldwide, Bawab’s work offers an insightful homage to Lebanon’s enduring spirit.

Group Exhibition ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ at Galerie Tanit Beirut
15 January – 20 February, 2025

Galerie Tanit’s Bittersweet Symphony gathers over 20 celebrated artists in a collective reflection on renewal and resilience. Featuring artists like Youssef Abdelké, Nabil Nahas, and Zad Moultaka, this exhibition celebrates diverse media and themes. The harmonious curation mirrors a symphony, juxtaposing hardship and triumph, loss and creation. As the gallery’s inaugural 2025 show, Bittersweet Symphony stands as both a tribute to the past year’s challenges and a celebration of artistic vitality. The exhibition underscores Beirut’s role as a cultural hub, showcasing local and international talent that continues to inspire and transcend.

Fatima Mortada ‘An Imagined Life’ at LT Gallery Beirut
16 – 31 January 2025

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The LT Gallery presents An Imagined Life, a solo exhibition by Fatima Mortada. Drawing inspiration from Wittgenstein’s words, “Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent,” Mortada’s works transcend painting to become a narrative journey, uncovering what has long been hidden. For her, art is an act of self-exodus—a fleeting glimpse into the soul’s concealed essence, where time collapses, linking the first moments of life to the present. These pieces invite viewers into an intimate dialogue between the imagined past and the tangible present. Join us for the opening on January 16 in Mar Mikhael.

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