São Paulo – Daily life in Lebanon, depicted by commonplace objects, comprises the 78 pictures in the exhibition Roots, by the São Paulo-based painter Beth Abi, due from October 10 to November 9 at the Brazil-Lebanon Cultural Centre, in Beirut.
The artist, whose grandparents are Lebanese, started working on the exhibit in 2011, when she travelled to the Arab country for the first time. “I rented an apartment in Beirut and then I started travelling across the country. I began breaking down each observation I made into a drawing,” Abi explains.
She says the work was made using few colours, seeing as she was in a makeshift studio. “I bought black, white, red and golden paper, because the East is not the East without the gold,” she says. “I also used green, which is my hybrid between Brazil and Lebanon,” she says.
The objects that show the life of Lebanese people conceal curious stories, like the basket called salleh. “The people who live in buildings usually don’t go out much, so when the husband goes out, the woman shouts from the window: bring me a matchbox. And then the husband buys the match and puts it in the basket (which comes down through the window), so they don’t need to climb the stairs,” she explains.
Bridal flowers are also featured in the show. “Everyone wants to marry here. I delved into the imagination of Lebanese people, and I worked with their poetics. I have affection for Lebanon, and this stirred up my imagination,” says the artist.
This is the painter’s first international exhibition. In Brazil, she has featured in several Middle East-themed shows, but this is her debut in the Arab world. “Those who have seen my work here have seen their country in a different light,” she says.
For the show’s opening, The Brazilian Embassy in Beirut is sponsoring a vernissage this Thursday (10th) from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The event is open to the public.
Service
Roots exhibition, by Beth Abi
October 10th to November 9th
Opening: October 10th from 8:00 pm 10:00 pm
Brazil-Lebanon Cultural Centre
Mar Mitr Street, 176 – Beirut
The show is open from Mondays to Fridays from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Admittance is free
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
