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The Smallville Hotel is launching the “Artville” project, a series of exhibitions showcasing Lebanese artists. Claude Saba, Fantine Samaha, and Tarek Mashmoushi will inaugurate this unprecedented artistic initiative, curated by Dr Tony Karam.
The new season promises to be rich in art and renewal at the Smallville Hotel. With the aim of introducing Lebanese talents and showcasing their work to offer them greater visibility and recognition, Sophia Fakhry, owner and director of the Smallville Hotel, proposed the initiative to Dr. Tony Karam, who will be responsible for curating the exhibitions.
Thus, the “Artville” project comes to life, highlighting the works of Lebanese artists through a series of exhibitions that will be held in the hotel lobby starting in September and throughout the coming year. A dedicated website will also allow these creations to be permanently displayed.
To open the season, the artist Claude Saba, who recently exhibited her work in Venice, will launch her solo exhibition on Thursday, September 12, with a vernissage where she will present a new series of paintings created for the occasion.
Claude Saba, a painter whose works have been showcased at the Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo and in an auction in New York, expresses her emotions through her art. Her inner life is reflected in the colors and letters that intertwine on her abstract canvases.
It is poetry on canvas, where the words she draws take shape to better express her feelings. Claude Saba invites us to discover her sensory world through the whispers of her brush, hence the title of her exhibition, “Whispers,” which will last for three weeks.
In the next stage, artist Fantine Samaha, known for her hyperrealistic and whimsical work, will hold a solo exhibition featuring new pieces from her series “My Imaginary Journey.” Through her fine and precise brushstrokes, the artist transports us to a fantastical world where fairy tale characters come to life and mingle with imaginary creatures.
We might discover an astronaut appearing in the middle of a flower field, making us dream of a new world; a white peacock performing a nocturnal dance surrounded by joyful insects; or an owl attempting to seize two interlaced rings that shimmer in emerald tones.
Fantine Samaha’s imaginary journey progresses with each of her works, guided by her brush. It is a collection that represents her and highlights the strength and beauty of her art. Color guides the ideas and defines the universe of each piece, which evolves and shifts themes over time.
She invites us to explore this enchanting journey and immerse ourselves in it in November, as part of “Artville” at the Smallville Hotel.
Later, to finish the year with bold colors, the hotel will host the self-taught artist Tarek Mashmoushi, who creates paintings featuring a wide range of grotesque figures with bulging eyes and puffy cheeks. He draws inspiration from cartoon characters as well as from those around him.
The playful themes in Tarek Mashmoushi’s work revolve around everyday situations that we often encounter and overlook. His works bring a smile to the observer’s face and evoke a sense of positivity in a world that sometimes drifts away from the norm.
His style is reminiscent of Picasso’s cubism, from which he draws inspiration. However, he prefers to be described as a “psychological cubist,” as his characters exhibit a multi-psychological “artificial realism.”
A place where visitors are greeted with art, a colorful destination that showcases and represents Lebanese artists. Smallville, in Badaro, opens its doors to art and projects a fruitful new season.
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