Chafa Ghaddar

B. 1986

 

Chafa Ghaddar was born in Lebanon and currently lives in Dubai. She graduated from ALBA, Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts, where she earned her Bachelor degree in Fine Arts in 2007 and her Master’s degree in Visual Arts in 2009. In 2012, she attended an intensive course in fresco and traditional painting techniques in Florence, Italy.

 

While developing a career in wall painting and surface finishing, she explores the use of fresco in contemporary practices as well as other processes, and works equally with murals, painting, drawing, photography and mixed media. She executes site-specific and public art works and has participated in several collective exhibitions between Beirut, Dubai, New York, Brussels and Verona, Italy. She was awarded the Boghossian Art Prize for painting in 2014, and was artist in residence at the Villa Empain in Brussels in October and November 2015.

 

Ghaddar had her debuting Solo show “The Visit” at Galerie Tanit, Beirut in 2018, followed by “Cacti in a daydream”in 2021. She has been selected by Tashkeel Studio as part of their Critical Practice Program 2018/2019 and exhibited with them “Recesses”, her first solo show in the UAE.

Chafa was commissioned to produce a site-specific work for the 16th Lyon Biennale “Manifesto of Fragility” curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath.

CHAFA GHADDAR ON FRESCO

"Fresco matures twice. In its first stage, it is a work of construction: surfaces are initiated, visuals are painted, the artist is active and the medium becomes solid. In its second stage, the work manifests itself through its own degradation: the decay of the skin, the absence of the artist and the resistance of what remains. 

 

Through frescoes I explore the manifestation of time on surfaces. Historical gesture appears in conversation with the present. Traces are evoked or retained, then investigated. Temporalities clash. I explore the paradox of a medium that can be timeless and vulnerable at once. I combine it with other techniques, particularly to process the idea of trace and fragmentation of time and space. I contest its immaculate historicity to suggest new boundaries and territories.  I relate to the sensuality of its surfaces that encapsulate every gesture and every error. I see it as a living material, constantly subject to growth. Fresco allows me to pierce an ecosystem of consistencies and paradoxes, and make them mine".

  

EDUCATION

 2009, MA in Visual Arts and new Medias, ALBA, Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts, Beirut

2007, BA in Fine Arts, ALBA, Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts, Beirut

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023, Beneath Latent Skies, Tabari Artspace, UAE
2021, Cacti in a Daydream, Galerie Tanit hors-les-murs, Beirut

2019-2020, Recesses, Tashkeel Studios and Galleries, Dubai

2018, The Visit, Galerie Tanit, Beirut

 

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021, HOW WILL IT END? Fondation Boghossian, Brussels, curated by Alicia Knock and Louma Salame

2021, I AM ONE ACQUAINTED WITH THE NIGHT, Studio La Citta, Verona, Italy

2018, Made in Tashkeel, Dubai

2017, Feminites Plurielles, Galerie Tanit, Beirut

2016, City and City, the Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries, New York (curated by Natasha Marie Llorens)

2015, L’espace de la feuille, Galerie Tanit, Beirut (curated by Clémence Cottard and Marc Mouarkech)

2014, Nostalgic Imagery, Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Beirut (curated by Nadine Majdalani Bekdache and BAKS/art concepts)

2014, Journey through our Heritage, Beirut Exhibition Centre (curated by Janine Maamari)

2011, Beirut Past and Present, Art Lounge and Kaslik University, Beirut (curated by Yasmine Chemaly)

2010, Space of crime, village of Maaser el Chouf, Lebanon (curated by Ghada Hage)

2009, Tout un chacun, VIeme Jeux de la Francophonie, Unesco, Beirut (curated by Ghada Hage)

2009, Badger I, UN évenement autour de l’image, in a factory in Bourj Hammoud, Beirut (curated by Ghada Hage)

2012, Exposure 2012, a juried group exhibition at Beirut Art Centre, Beirut, Jury: Amanda Abi Khalil (curator), Gilbert Hage (artist), Jannane al-Ani (artist), Khalil Rabah (artist) and the board of Beirut Art Center

 

ART FAIRS

2024, Art Dubai, UAE

2023, Abu Dhabi Art, UAE
2022, MENART FAIR Paris- Galerie Tanit Beirut/Munich

2021, MENART FAIR Paris- Une histoire de Bleu, Galerie Tanit Beirut/Munich

2018, Beirut Art Fair, Galerie Tanit Beirut/Munich

2018, Art Dubai, Galerie Tanit Beirut/Munich- Booth B5

 

 BIENNALES

2022, Commissioned to be part of the 16th Lyon Biennale “Manifesto of fragility” curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Felrath


COLLECTIONS

Public: Boghossian Art Foundation, Brussels & Tashkeel Art Foundation, Dubai, Fondation Saradar, Beirut.

Corporate: Byblos Bank Headquarters, Beirut

 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

2020, Blue was a Revolution: ongoing notes towards fresco

2020, Recesses- Catalogue for the solo show

2019, Feminites Plurielles, Galerie Tanit, Beirut

2019, Apres l’Alba- Academie Libanaise des Beaux Arts, Beirut

2012, Exposure 2012- Beirut Art Center

2013- Journey through our Heritage, Beirut Exhibition Center

2020, A Lexicon in Celebration of Chafa Ghaddar’s Recesses by Jill Magi

2020, Recesses by Kevin Jones

2020, The Diary of an artist in interesting times- SELECTIONS MAGAZINE

2018, The Residues of Elsewhere by Kevin Jones

2018, Le WAW, A Wondrous Visit from Chafa Ghaddar

2017, Art Dubai Blog, Q&A with A.I.R. Dubai 2017 Artist Chafa Ghaddar

2017, Art Dubai Blog, A.I.R. DUBAI 2017

2016, ABSENT BEIRUT: Reflections on Reflections, Ibraaz, written by Natasha Marie Llorens

 

RESIDENCIES AND AWARDS

2014, awarded the Boghossian Art Prize for Painting

2007, Scholarship, ENSBA, Paris (October-November)

2015, Boghossian Art Foundation, Brussels, (October-November)

2007, La Corbiere Village Nomade, Switzerland (July)