Chafa suggests, "The studio is in Rachana, but Rachana is also the studio," encapsulating the symbiotic relationship she perceives between the surroundings and the creative process and reflected in the series title, Sources.
Contemporary Lebanese artist Chafa Ghaddar has produced a compelling new body of work inspired by her sojourn at the Alfred Basbous Foundation in Rachana, Lebanon. Ghaddar, whose recent conceptual exploration is anchored in the realms of the natural world, found profound inspiration during her summer visit to the UNESCO heritage site. The seamless synergy between the outdoor environment, the studio, and the vibrant community at the Foundation left an imprint on the artist and contributed to her latest work.
Having fully immersed herself in the creative milieu of the acclimated modernist sculptor Alfred Basbous, Ghaddar channels this immersive experience into a captivating series of contemporary frescoes and works on paper building a dialogue between Lebanon’s historic past and compelling present. The new works will be unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art.
Ghaddar suggests, "The studio is in Rachana, but Rachana is also the studio," encapsulating the symbiotic relationship she perceives between the surroundings and the creative process and reflected in the series title, Sources. Collaborating with Fadi, Alfred Basbous's son and the manager of the Estate, Ghaddar gained insights into how the renowned sculptor was profoundly influenced by the interplay of light and motion at the site. This unique experience has left an imprint on the work she has produced in response to her time at the Alfred Basbous Foundation.
Working across multiple media, Chafa Ghaddar casts a contemporary gaze towards the historic fresco mural painting technique. The exploration and excavation of new potentials in materiality and process are central to her practice.
Ghaddar makes palpable the tension between durability and impermanence and unpacks a non-linear journey that departs from fresco painting’s classical associations and arrives in the present.
