B. 1938
Seminal painter, sculptor and printmaker, Hussein Madi is best known for his colourful works that harmonise abstract design with Islamic art.
Madi was based in Rome for much of the Seventies and Eighties, studying everything from frescoes and mosaics to sculpture techniques in bronze and wax while teaching at the National Art Institute of the Lebanese University, Beirut in parallel. In 1973, he made the first of his now-famous alphabetic works, for which he created a grid of forms representing visual riffs on the letters of the Arabic alphabet. Over time Madi developed several of those forms into symbolic figures that were oft-repeated in his oeuvre.
Aside from his alphabetic works, Madi’s subjects are typically living matter, oscillating between horses, birds, and vampish renditions of the female form. Inspired by European artists likes Matisse and Picasso, Madi displays superb draftsmanship, his eye notably sensitive to the linear definition of form.
In the past decade Madi has become one of the most commercially successful artists in the Middle East setting a record in 2018 with the sale of his Baghdad Landscape painting, which sold at auction for $75,000.
In 1962, after completing his studies at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts in Beirut Madi worked in Baghdad, Iraq for a short period of time before moving to Rome, Italy in 1963 to complete his studies at the Accademia di Belle Arti.
His first solo exhibitions were held at Dar El-Fann Gallery, Beirut and Poliedro Gallery, Rome (1968). Madi has since had more than sixty solo exhibitions across the world including Cortina Gallery, Milan, Italy (1972); Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, France (1989); Alice Moghabghab Gallery, Beirut (1995) and Menasart, Beirut, Lebanon (2012). His works have been displayed in the Ueno Museum, Tokyo, Japan (1972); British Museum, London, UK (1990); Sharjah Museum, UAE (1997) and included in the Alexandria Biennale, Egypt (1965, 1967); First International Biennale, Cairo, Egypt (1994) and the 23rd International Biennale, Sao Paulo, Brazil (1996). Madi presented his work at the Venice Biennale (2003) and was awarded Order of the Star by the Italian Government for outstanding contribution to the country during the same year.
EDUCATION
1958, Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts, Beirut
AWARDS
1974, First Prize for Engraving, Citta di Lecce, Italy
1968/69, Salon’s Prize for Sculpture offered by the Italian Cultural Centre
1965, Sursock Museum 5th Salon Prize for Pain
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2019, Mark Hachem Paris, Hussein Madi - Recent Works
2019, Mark Hachem Beirut, Hussein Madi - Recent Works
2019, Unexpected Trove - The Unseen Works of Hussein Madi (Rome 1964-1970), Beirut Art Fair (paintings, solo)
2014, An Endless Sense of Creativity, Collages, Lithographs, Paintings and Sculptures, al markhiya gallery, Doha Qatar
2010, Mark Hachem, New York, (Peintures, Sculptures)
2010, Artspace Gallery, Dubai (Paintings)
2009, Aida cherfan Fine Art, Beirut, Lebanon(Sculpture Exhibition)
2008, Mark Hachem, New York, (Peintures, Sculptures)
2008, Aida Cherfan Fine Art, Beirut, Lebanon (Paintings: Omaggio alla Donna)
2008, University of Balamand (Paintings, Sculptures, Drawings & Prints)
2006, ArtSpace Gallery, Dubai
2006, Aida Cherfan Fine Art, Beirut, Lebanon (Paintings)
2005, Aida Cherfan Fine Art, Beirut, Lebanon (Graphic Art Exhibition)
2004, Aida Cherfan Fine Art, Beirut, Lebanon (Paintings & Signature)
2004, Italian Embassy in Lebanon (Beirut)
2003, Venice Biennale
2002, Aida Cherfan Fine Art, Beirut, Lebanon (Drawings)
2001, Mark Hachem, Paris, (Peintures, Sculptures)
2001, Aida Cherfan Fine Art, Beirut, Lebanon (Sculptures)
2000, Aida Cherfan Fine Art, Beirut, Lebanon (Paintings)
2000, Mark Hachem, Art Miami, (Peintures, Sculptures)
1999, Music Festival, Al Bustan Hotel, Beit Mery, Lebanon
1999, Euro Art 1999 Special Liban, Geneva
1998, Alice Moghabghab Gallery, Beirut (Prints)
1998, Cairo Opera
1997, Sharjah Museum
1997, Alice Moghabghab Gallery, Beirut (Paintings, Drawing)
1996, Alice Moghabghab Gallery, Beirut (Paintings, Sculptures)
1996, 23rd International Biennale, São Paulo, Brazil
1995, Green Art Gallery, Dubai
1995, Qatar Museum for Modern Art, Doha
1995, Alice Moghabghab Gallery, Beirut (Paintings)
1994, L’entretemps Gallery, Mansourieh, Beirut
1994, First International Biennale, Cairo (Prints)
1994, 1st Cairo Int’l Bienanal in Graphic Art Major
1994, Rochane Galler, Beirut (Collages)
1994, Darat El-Founoun, Amman
1993, Atassi Gallery, Damascus
1992, Sursock Museum, Beirut
1992, Yarze Country Club, Lebanon
1990, 50 x 70 Gallery, Beirut
1990, British Museum, London
1989, Platform Gallery, Beirut (Drawing and Prints)
1989, Platform Gallery, Beirut (Paintings)
1989, L’Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris
1988, Platform Gallery, Beirut (Sculptures)
1988, Platform Gallery, Beirut (Pastel and Water Colors)
1987 Association of Lebanese Artists, Beirut
1986 Association of Lebanese Artists, Beirut
1985 Petra Bank Art Gallery, Amman
1984 Kuwait Biennale
1984 Graphic Art Biennale, Bradford, U.K
1984 Platform Gallery, Beirut
1983 Association of Lebanese Artists, Beirut
1982 Sursock Museum, Beirut
1981 Mandaloun Gallery, Dbayeh, Beirut
1980 12th International Painting Festival, Cagnes-sur-Mer France
1980 Italian Cultural Center, Beirut
1980 Antique Gallery, Beirut
1980 Faris Gallery, Paris
1979 Held first retrospective, Chamber of Commerce, Beirut
1978 Samia Tutunji Gallery, Beirut
1978 International Print Exhibition, Lecce, Italy
1977 Samia Tutunji Gallery, Beirut
1976 Islamic Art Exhibit, London
1976 Esagono Gallery, Lecce, Italy
1975 Novelli Gallery, Verone, Italy
1974 Samia Tutunji Gallery, Beirut (solo)
1974 Cite de Lecce, Italy (1st prize in Sculpture)
1974 Exhibited at the Baghdad International Biennale
1974 Modulart Gallery, Beirut
1973 Contact Gallery, Beirut
1973 Trifalco Gallery, Roma
1972 Trifalco Gallery, Italy
1972 Ueno Museum, Tokyo
1972 Ministry of Tourism Art Exhibit, Roma
1972 Contini Gallery, Roma
1972 Cavour Gallery, Milano
1972 Cortina Gallery, Milan
1971, La Estadera Gallery, Italy
1970, Soligo Gallery, Roma (solo)
1970, Magnagraccia Gallery, Taranto, Italy
1968, Sursock Museum, Beirut (1st prize of sculpture)
1968, Dar El-Fann Gallery, Beirut (solo)
1968, Poliedro Gallery, Roma (solo)
1968, Italien Culture Center (1st prize in Sculpture)
1967, Alexandria Biennale
1966, Exhibition in the Museum of Beirut
1965, The Gallery of the Association of Lebanese Artists
1965, Sursock Museum, Beirut (1st prize of painting)
1965, Exhibited at the Alexandria Biennale, Egypt
COLLECTIONS
Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation, Beirut, Lebanon
MACAM, Aalita, Lebanon
Nicolas Sursock Museum, Beirut, Lebanon
The collection of the Ministry of Culture, Beirut, Lebanon
KA collection, Beirut, Lebanon
The collection of Ramzi Saidi, Beirut, Lebanon
The collection of Mazen Soueid, Beirut, Lebanon
Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE
Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, France
The British Museum, London, UK
Chase Manhattan Bank, New York, US
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Qatar
The Khalid Shoman Collection, Darat Al Funun, Amman, Jordan
Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman, Jordan
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2008, Porter, V, 'Word into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East (Dubai 2008)', BMP, (p. 148)
2006, Porter, V, 'Word into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East', BMP, (p. 135)
2005, Madi, H. The Art of Madi
SELECTED PRESS
2019, Financial Times, Are guarantees the ‘invisible hand’ of the art market?