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Renowned painter Jamil Molaeb marks his grand return to the Janine Rubeiz Gallery from January 9 to February 23 with a striking exhibition titled Jamilat, celebrating the feminine nude.
In Jamil Molaeb’s collection, the female body is set against a natural backdrop, positioned at the center of the canvas as if at the universe’s core. This becomes the painter’s exploratory field as he seeks to unravel its endless mystery. Each nude is depicted alone, except for two older works where female bodies transform into graphic and stylized elements, enveloping the entire artwork. The feminine form, in all its states, parades from one canvas to another, manifesting in various postures: standing or lying down, from behind, face-forward or sideways, abandoned or defensive, discreet or provocative, triumphant or withdrawn, a body of joy and pleasure, or one shackled by constraints.
The feminine figure also reveals the inner self through a myriad of facial expressions: serene and radiant, contemplative or frightened, with eyes open or closed, observing or questioning. Thus exposed, the body is examined, touched, and caressed by the artist’s brushes, sculpting every nook to uncover its secrets and subtle nuances. A raw form with a primitive character reminiscent of the nudes by Braque or pre-Cubist Picasso is presented by Jamil Molaeb unadorned, in a tangible relationship with the material. This approach stands in stark contrast to the idealization of the Hellenistic Greek period or the classical era exemplified by Ingres’ Grande Odalisque, far from the sensual flesh depicted in Rubens’ works and distant from the provocative realism of Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe.
Moving away from any aesthetic or erotic pursuit, the painter places the female body at the heart of his observation, transcending materiality to reveal bare truth and deep inner self. He aims to strip the body of all societal taboos and prejudices that tarnish or demean it, restoring its original innocence, both animalistic and spiritual, reinstating its dignity, and elevating it to an icon or sacred temple, a vessel of the soul.
Thus, the body becomes an unknown and distant land filled with mysteries, an abstract form freed from spatial or temporal constraints, rediscovering its original Edenic purity. A body with generous forms merged with nature to share its essence and richness, drawing strength and substance from fertile earth, embodying the role of a nurturing mother. A living body that pulsates and evolves with the seasons or life cycles, a universally dimensional form placed on an altar as an offering or prayer, presenting itself to our eyes as a reflection of our own nudity. This body, firmly rooted to the ground, seems to detach itself through a gaze that soars towards the beyond, transcending the canvas’s limits and seeking to connect with the viewer in an endless dialogue.
An utterly unique artistic connection at the Janine Rubeiz Gallery until February 23, 2024.
