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Wissam Beydoun
Born in Lebanon and still living there, Wissam
Beydoun’s paintings and collages fuse his love of comic strips and the
written word with idiosyncratic, emotionally-laden images ranging from the
figurative to the abstract.
Mixed media and collages are a favorite method of
expression. Wissam notes: “I found that collages [reflect] exactly my
way of thinking and the way I [want] to approach a subject. Working in
mixed media.. [gives] me … freedom of expression...”
Early on, he started sharpening his skills as a
comic strip creator, with several innovative publications and exhibitions
along the way (including the prestigious Salon international de la bande
dessinee in Angouleme, France), before turning his full attention to this
present mode of expression. It was a natural progression: “I wanted my
comic [strips] to be like paintingsand vice versa, where you can read and
see the story”, he explains.
A common thread in his work is the use of vivid,
bold blotches of color – primary colors are often judiciously applied to
great effect. His comics background inspires and derives a lot of his
present work – he views his creations as “conversations” (the title
of one of his most recent exhibitions) between the artist and his viewing
public. Words are part of his art, so is a kind of watchful stillness –
as if some existential weight ineluctably anchors each piece.
Wissam graduated from the Lebanese American
University with a degree in Fine Arts and Graphic Design, and was given
the Sheikh Zayed Fine Arts Award. In the last twenty years, he’s had
several exhibitions, some of them collective, in Lebanon as well as in
France. |
