São Paulo – No name in the Arab community in Alagoas is better known than his. A reference in arts and architecture, Pierre Chalita was a son of Lebanese parents and lent his name to a foundation that is today one of the most important cultural space in the state. Born in 1930, in Maceió, and having passed away in 2010, also in the city, he left his brand in the work that translated the angst, doubt and memories of the men of his time. The legacy of his work is developed, with pride and love, by his widow, Solange Lages Chalita, who is responsible for the paintings, sculptures and furniture organized by the two units of Pierre Chalita Foundation, in the city of Alagoas. In the interview that follows, she speaks about the artist, the man and the son of Arabs with whom she got married in 1986.
ANBA – What exactly are the Arab roots of Pierre Chalita?
Solange Chalita – Pierre’s father, Gabriel Chalita, was Lebanese, born in Kartaba, where he used to grow silk worms. In the early 20th Century, Gabriel came to Brazil, initially having set up roots in Pernambuco. He brought a Lebanese wife and two small children. He soon became a widower. He immediately wrote to a close relative saying that he would like to marry his daughter, Amine, and asking for her to travel to Brazil. With Amine, Gabriel moved to Maceió. They had six children: Maria José, José Gabriel, Pierre Gabriel, Vitoria, Henriete and Antonio Gabriel.
Was he proud of his roots?
Yes, he was proud of his Arab roots. The most beautiful portrait he painted in his life was undoubtedly his mother’s, dressed in Lebanese garments, with a long braid, drooping down her chest, head covered in yellow fabric, with the ruins of Baalbek in the background. The painting was so impressive to dean Pedro Calmon, from Rio de Janeiro, that he offered the architect who had just graduated from the National Architecture College, at the time on Praia Vermelha, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, a scholarship to study in Spain. That was back in the 1950s. Pierre spent eight months in Madrid, enrolled in the Royal Academy of San Fernando. He then went to Paris, and enrolled in the School of Fine Arts.
What were his most marking Arab characteristics?
Not only his tan skin, and vigorous stature, but also his fluent speech sustained by exuberant gestures showed his oriental roots of masterful storyteller. But also his exacerbated affectivity, translated into love of the family. His sensitivity for music and painting, ancient memory inherited by men from afar. And what to say about the feeling that overcame him and made his whole body shake when, from a ship, in the distance, he saw Beirut for the first time?
What would you point out in Pierre Chalita’s work as an architect?
Pierre Chalita placed his work as an architect at the service of restoration of important historic buildings in Maceió, like the Baron of Jaraguá’s Palace, the Legislative Assembly’s building and the offices of the History and Geography Institute of Alagoas. But his pioneering in the field was having fought to generate awareness of the importance of preservation of such goods, at a time in which what was sought was modernisation of cities. Demolitions or lack of interest were the norm.
And as a painter?
Pierre was even greater as a painter. He dedicated his whole life to art. He was always contented, appreciating what he learnt and he never let himself be swayed by fads. In a short article, I once defined him as a “transexpressionist painter”. Social and existential matters always concerned him. The enormous legacy he left, with the “Do Baile” (Ball) and “Paraíso” (Paradise) series, speaks about the contemporary man in a dramatic focus, translating into colour and lines feelings like angst, biases, violence and injustice. But, in this Chalita universe, there is also fraternity, solidarity, compassion and love.
Talking about love, how did you meet?
I am from Alagoas and we met at a very young age. I was 15 years old and it was with Pierre that I danced for the first time, at Carnival. I was dressed as a Gypsy and he was dressed as an Apache. We spent a long time without seeing each other, working on our education. In the 1970s, we came closer to each other again, due to our ideals and to our joint work. It was a very happy ending, and we got married in 1986. Unfortunately, he died in 2010. I have been making an effort to proceed with what he created. But it is hard, as he was a unique genius.
How is the Pierre Chalita Foundation’s work developed?
Pierre Chalita Foundation is a non-profit making private right institution established in 1980. It houses an eclectic art collection – paintings, sculptures, furniture, drawings, decorations, and so on. All of it donated by Pierre and housed in two museums in Maceió: one in the City Centre and another in Jaraguá neighbourhood. The finality is to contribute to the cultural and educational development of Alagoas, in the Northeast and Brazil. The organisation promotes cultural events, almost always involving professors in talks and collective exhibitions.
Service
Pierre Chalita Foundation
Telephone: (+55 82) 3223-4298
Site: www.fundacaopierrechalita.com.br
*Translated by Mark Ament
