Arneli Art Gallery part of the 22nd international art exchange exhibition in KANAGAWA, JAPAN
Dzovig Arnelian
An unprecedented opportunity given to Beirut, is the invitation that Arneli Art Gallery has received from JAALA to participate in its 22nd international exhibition at Yokohama Civic Gallery in Kanagawa, Japan. 15 artworks, by emerging as well as established artists, have been shipped all the way from Beirut to Japan to be part of this enormous salon. With a great cooperation between Junko Hoki (coordinator of exhibition, Lebanon), Keiko Imai (curator of exhibition, Japan) and Dzovig Arnelian (Founder of Arneli Art Gallery), a piece of Beirut’s soul flew to Japan. The participating artists are both Lebanese and Syrian currently residing in Lebanon. The art pieces consist of works varying in medium, technique and size. Paintings, Collage and Mixed media works that resemble diverse personal and poetic interpretations of different realities and visions.
Having a Japanese husband and highly astonished by Japanese art, our artist Khouloud Sinno Hibri represented 2 artworks “Ahlan – Youkoso” and “Let’s live in peace and harmony” which are made from Japanese Washi.
Abdulrahman Naanseh and Ghaleb Hawila, who are both brilliant calligraphers, have created delicate, minimal and contemporary works on paper and linen.
Michel Doumit has shared a soothing yet very vibrant mixed media portrait in blue called “CG on Mars” whereas Paul Merhy has chosen a very colorful, untitled, oil on canvas piece of 2 boots that are vastly open to interpretation.
“Stay Tuned”, a colorful portrait by Sami Alkour, resemble the beautiful face of a young man with a direct, daring and sparkling look.
Lodi Sabra and Iman Toufaily have both worked on the technique of collage. “And then we live on 12” by Lodi is a delicate play between color, texture and medium whereas Iman’s “Untitled” artwork questions the role of veiled women in highly conservative societies.
Lea Helou has chosen a piece called “June twenty-first, 11:26 am” which is a depiction of an interior space in solitude and confinement during the current global pandemic.
Three artists have chosen themes related to Beirut. Ahmad Ghaddar with his hand cut banknote collage mounted on cotton paper showing literally the current Lebanese Lira deconstruction and reconstruction in the most ecstatic way. Amani Hassan which has chosen one of the Lebanese most loved sites, Baalbek, with a kind yet bold, black and white analysis using the sharpness of ink on canvas. And one of the most beautiful pieces in this collection is “Ode to Beirut” By Manar Ali Hassan Galvani that resembles a body in pain mounted on a background of the destructed Lebanese Beirut Port.
Two figurative artists Johnny Semaan and Dzovig Arnelian have also depicted intimate pieces which question the human body, nature, behavior and pattern of thought.
Arneli Art Gallery’s team was also very happy to create the English version of the official poster with our in-house designer Zakaria Al Omar.
Arneli Art Gallery, www.arneliartgallery.com , is an online platform ever supporting Fine Art Fresh graduates in entering the international art market scene and the gallery is beyond honored for this incredibly huge and lovely opportunity presented by the JAALA team. By this cooperation we desire to open a door of creative and unlimited communication between two incredibly rich civilizations, the Lebanese and Japanese culture.
