Ghada Zoghbi showcases a new solo show at Galerie Janine Rubeiz titled ‘Wild Mindscapes’ from the 4th until the 28th of September, 2024. This series of paintings began as Zoghbi sketched scenes of Lebanese mountains and valleys, captivated by the formations of rocks and stones encountered in the landscape. The process evolved into an exploration of envisioning and crafting various stone formations, with each artwork naturally leading to the next.
This journey sparked a series of reflective questions in the artist. She questioned the origin of the scenes: Were they purely imaginative, or memories passed down through generations, revived in the artist’s spirit? She wondered whether these recollections might belong to grandmothers who once inhabited the same landscape.
The rocks, steeped in history witnessed countless stories and encounters. The artist contemplates the deep connections between these stones and the ancestors who once walked among them. This series is not just an exploration of the physical landscape but also an inquiry into the narratives embedded within it—narratives that might have been passed down through generations.
As the artist delves into this introspective process she asks herself whether these stones can evoke memories and which stones will carry her narrative to future generations. Through this series, the artist seeks to connect with the timeless, enduring nature of the landscape, exploring how personal and collective memories are interwoven with the natural world, and how the stories of ancestors might be echoed in the present and passed on to future generations.
About Ghada Zoghbi
Ghada Zoghbi, born in Shmestar, Lebanon, in 1980, is a distinguished artist known for exploring the relationship between individuals and their surroundings. After moving to Beirut at 18 to study art, she earned a Fine Art degree from the Lebanese University in 2010. Her debut solo exhibition, ‘Regimes of the Personal’ (2016), at Artspace Gallery, Beirut, featured paintings that delved into personal stories through images of closets. Her acclaimed second solo show, ‘Pretty Abandoned’ (2021), continued this exploration. Zoghbi’s work has been showcased in numerous group exhibitions and is part of the Sursock Museum’s permanent collection. She is represented by Galerie Janine Rubeiz in Beirut.
Location: Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Beirut
Dates: 4 – 28 September, 2024
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