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拍品專文
Aref El Rayess is one of the most important Lebanese modernist artists whose practice spans five decades of painting, sculpture and illustration. His work is characterised by its integration of folkloric and mystic motifs, inspired by his travels though the Gulf, Africa, Europe and North America and influenced by the Druze doctrine and its esoteric notions of mysticism. Rayess believed in the interconnectivity of the universe, man, and time which translated in a body of work revolving around humanity, identity and nature.
While never receiving a formal arts education, Rayess trained in Paris at the ateliers of Fernand Leger, Andre Lhôte, and La Grande Chaumière amongst others and was a founding member of the Fine Arts Department at the Lebanese University and Dar el Fan (The House of Art and Culture). In 1960, he received a scholarship from the Italian government and studied in Florence under mentorship of Antonio Berti, then moved to Rome, where he trained with Lionello Vantouri and Alberto Giacometti.
In the 1980s, the artist moved to Saudi Arabia, where he painted the present work which is part of his celebrated Desert series. Leaving his home country in the midst of a civil war, Rayess was appointed as art consultant in Jeddah’s beautification project, working closely with the then-mayor Dr. Mohammed Said Farsi, whose collection of modern Arab art Christie’s sold in 2010. Rayess produced around thirteen sculptures in stone and aluminium between Jeddah, Tabuk and Riyadh. The stone used for these commissions was sourced by the artist through multiple excursions across Saudi Arabia which exposed him to the Arabian desert. Captivated by the serenity and spirituality of the desert landscape, Rayess embarked on a series of paintings in which he sought to capture the light, vastness and spiritual dimension of the desert.
In the present work, Rayess skillfully seizes the fleeting moment of changing light, its effect on the shapes and colours of the desert landscape and ultimately capturing its beauty and mysticism.
Rayess also had a lifelong interest in political and social matters, which resulted in a series of dystopian, cynical and surrealist paintings. These were painted predominately before his Desert series, and as a result of the Arab defeat of 1967, the Lebanese Civil War and the Algerian Revolution. These works explore the decadence of nations, the tyranny of leaders, and tragedies of war.
Aref El Rayess’ works are found in important public collections including Sursock Museum, Beirut, and Musée Public National des Beaux-Arts, Alger, along with important private collections such as Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah; and Dalloul Art Foundation, Beirut. The artist recently was the subject of a retrospective at Sharjah Art Museum in 2022, and currently works from his Desert series are displayed at the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024.
While never receiving a formal arts education, Rayess trained in Paris at the ateliers of Fernand Leger, Andre Lhôte, and La Grande Chaumière amongst others and was a founding member of the Fine Arts Department at the Lebanese University and Dar el Fan (The House of Art and Culture). In 1960, he received a scholarship from the Italian government and studied in Florence under mentorship of Antonio Berti, then moved to Rome, where he trained with Lionello Vantouri and Alberto Giacometti.
In the 1980s, the artist moved to Saudi Arabia, where he painted the present work which is part of his celebrated Desert series. Leaving his home country in the midst of a civil war, Rayess was appointed as art consultant in Jeddah’s beautification project, working closely with the then-mayor Dr. Mohammed Said Farsi, whose collection of modern Arab art Christie’s sold in 2010. Rayess produced around thirteen sculptures in stone and aluminium between Jeddah, Tabuk and Riyadh. The stone used for these commissions was sourced by the artist through multiple excursions across Saudi Arabia which exposed him to the Arabian desert. Captivated by the serenity and spirituality of the desert landscape, Rayess embarked on a series of paintings in which he sought to capture the light, vastness and spiritual dimension of the desert.
In the present work, Rayess skillfully seizes the fleeting moment of changing light, its effect on the shapes and colours of the desert landscape and ultimately capturing its beauty and mysticism.
Rayess also had a lifelong interest in political and social matters, which resulted in a series of dystopian, cynical and surrealist paintings. These were painted predominately before his Desert series, and as a result of the Arab defeat of 1967, the Lebanese Civil War and the Algerian Revolution. These works explore the decadence of nations, the tyranny of leaders, and tragedies of war.
Aref El Rayess’ works are found in important public collections including Sursock Museum, Beirut, and Musée Public National des Beaux-Arts, Alger, along with important private collections such as Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah; and Dalloul Art Foundation, Beirut. The artist recently was the subject of a retrospective at Sharjah Art Museum in 2022, and currently works from his Desert series are displayed at the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024.