An exhibition of late Lebanese artist Aref El Rayess is running until August 7, 2022, at Sharjah Art Museum in collaboration with the Sharjah Museums Authority, the Sharjah Art Foundation and Aref El Rayess Foundation.
More than 200 of the artist’s works are on show. They include paintings, sculptures, drawings and photographs that reveal the rich and complex artistic practice of this essential Arab modernist. The pieces are exhibited in chronological order reflecting his career of over 50 years. A restless traveller, El Rayess’s oeuvre often reflects the places and times in which he lived and worked.
Practising in various media, Aref El Rayess, a self-taught artist, developed an interest in abstraction. Aref El Rayess’ art was influenced by a lifetime of travel between Senegal, Lebanon, and Paris. His travels across West Africa inspired him to incorporate folkloric and mystic motifs into his work.
Much of his work reflects the political struggles of his time — the Algerian War of Independence, the Lebanese civil war. However, Aref El Rayess was also an active member of the Lebanese art community, teaching, writing, organising and participating in conferences and exhibitions on politics and arts in the Arab World.
For more information, please visit SHARJAH ART FOUNDATION
