Lebanon (1983)
Lebanon forming the Split of Life series, comprising a vast range of enormous paintings dealing with themes evoking the horrors of war. But showing works at odds with a commercial society or system faced insurmountable obstacles. Bypassing commercial promotion, I went on an extended road tour showing the works at different places in various states, and later traveling through Latin America and other countries worldwide. The exhibitions went on for an extended time spanning the 15-year period of the Lebanese Civil War. The works projected a compelling view of a troubled world, in particular of Lebanon, the beloved beautiful country being assaulted and torn apart by a vicious cycle of violence tearing and threatening its very foundation. The
exhibitions generated various conferences and cultural activities from a wide segment of society.
You have also made paintings on other conflicts, such as Vietnam (1974), Bosnia (1995–96) and Iraq (2004-2006) Do you aim to depict particular events in war, or something more universal?
The works were a response to the terrible wars that were raging in Lebanon and many countries in the Middle East and Latin America, where I made frequent visits and spent quite a bit of time. The depicted images reveal harrowing images evoking