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Until July 12, Galerie Janine Rubeiz presents “The Harvest,” an exhibition showcasing the prolific world of Dalia Baasiri, a multidisciplinary artist who adeptly uses drawing, painting, and sculpture as a means of expression.
A multifaceted artist trained in graphic design at the American University of Beirut and holding a master’s degree in Fine Arts from Chelsea College of Arts in London, Dalia Baasiri has participated in several solo and group exhibitions both in Lebanon and abroad, including in Dubai, Paris, Florence, Venice, Barcelona, London, and Berlin. Her impressive artistic journey is nourished by a childhood haunted by the ghosts of the civil war. This rather dark backdrop, agitated by instability and the threat of unrest, becomes fertile ground for artistic creation, maintained by the artist’s constant doubt and questioning. Faced with the fragility of existence in a country plagued by the absurdity of wars and the greed of leaders, the artist finds refuge in her art and seeks to explore the concept of fragility inherent in the human condition.
During her artist residency at Achkal Alwan from May to September 2023, the artist embarked on a new project titled “The Harvest,” where she collects everyday elements bearing witness to the wear of time, the absurdity of war, or disasters. Dalia focuses on these fragile entities condemned to finitude, destined for annihilation, to halt their decay.
The harvest is fruitful. Debris meticulously collected by the artist after the Beirut port explosion, pieces of scarred walls, remnants of scraped-off paint, tree bark, amalgamations of melted wax from candles lit by the faithful to accompany their incantations and prayers. All these mismatched and scattered fragments become poignant witnesses to the relentless march of history and time, leaving an indelible mark on souls and bodies, branding every being and thing.
Dalia encloses these treasures in boxes, letting them rest for a whole season in her studio like fertile silt to mature and take root. She allows these invisible and secret seeds to germinate in silence before bringing them to light for a new bloom. A symbolic gesture inspired by the slow regeneration process of nature, drawing its strength from the slow winter maturation before participating in the explosion of spring life. During this period, the artist listens to her precious deposits, contemplating them like icons. She absorbs their existence, the intensity of their presence, eventually assembling and reconstructing them, participating in the sacred act of giving life. All these inert amalgamations become the very material of the artistic work, marking a renaissance. Old bark, melted or decomposed remains become living and durable material to feed the texture of a tree trunk or branch, regaining their full meaning through a drawing, painting, or sculpture.
The artist also creates small scenes with blurred, unfinished contours that she gently touches, giving them the freedom to evolve as they please, to complete their construction, to write their own story. Dalia explores the concept of emptiness and fullness, presence and absence. Her works reveal holes in amputated trunks and flaked branches. These gaps resonate as a call to fill the void, a reminder of the fragility of existence that magnetizes the desire for reconstruction, fostering creative momentum.
The artist thus pays a vibrant tribute to human vulnerability, considered a powerful engine of metamorphosis. She encourages the tireless reconquest of the life drive despite suffering and doubt. A touching and inspiring exhibition that prompts meditation, reflection, and questioning: “And if the grain does not die…?”
It should be noted that Dalia Baasiri, faithful to her artistic exploration of emotions and colors, will also present works with this same theme at a group exhibition scheduled for mid-July 2023. Titled “I Wish to be Happy, I Want to be Yellow,” this exhibition will be held at the prestigious “Gallery Isabelle” located in the trendy Alserkal Avenue District in Dubai, curated by the enlightened Jad Karam.
