Picture courtesy of Alfred Basbous foundation archives

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Picture courtesy of Alfred Basbous foundation archives"

Amie Lawson
6 years ago
Views:

2 Picture courtesy of Alfred Basbous foundation archives... if inside the mind of every artist there is a perpetual site in more or less important degree, one shall never try to explain the why of what is going on inside this mind. Alfred Basbous

ALFRED BASBOUS 1924-2005 Alfred Basbous was born in Rachana, Lebanon in 1924.

3 ALFRED BASBOUS Alfred Basbous was born in Rachana, Lebanon in His first exhibition in Beirut, at the Alecco Saab gallery in 1958, marked the beginning of his long and successful career as a sculptor. Basbous s works express a lifelong exploration of the human form and its abstract properties. Focused on the aesthetic principles of shape, movement, line and material, his sculptures display a deeply ingrained sincerity and a search for the essence of beauty. Working in the tradition of sculptors such as Auguste Rodin, Jean Arp and Henry Moore, Alfred Basbous explores the potential of noble materials such as bronze, wood and marble to express the sensuality and purity of the human form. This aversion towards frivolous and meaningless embellishments echoes his own philosophy of simplicity and earnestness. The work of Alfred Basbous are part of numerous public and private collections throughout the world, including the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and the Musée Rodin in Paris. His momumental works are present in the public areas of Beirut and many Lebanese cities. Alfred Basbous working in his workshop Paris, 1961 Picture courtesy of Alfred Basbous foundation archives

4 Profound Feelings (Helen Khal on Alfred Basbous) With profound respect for his material and sensitivity to the color and texture of each sculpture, Basbous exposes its inherent personality and, at the same time, uses its character to express his own creative image. Although a large number of pieces appear to be abstract, in fact they are not. Basbous begins and ends with living forms- the angular or curving grace of a human torso the instant pose of an animal s physical movement, the introspective head in the privacy of his thoughts. There is strong fluidity in his lines, and a pure balance of form that harmoniously vitalizes the space around it. His works, perched, with a sense of imminent flight, contain a quiet joy that is perhaps aroused by the simple tactile pleasure that they contain - for Basbous manages, out of his fine sensitivity, to imbue the hard medium with a sense of living flesh, breathing and sensual.

Femme alongée Fadi Alfred Basbous Alfred Basbous Foundation - President The Alfred Basbous Foundation was established by the artist in 2004 to foster an environment receptive to his work and bring

The Foundation devotes all its resources to uphold the Basbous legacy at his home in Rachana and through exhibitions worldwide, grants to arts organizations and researches at the Alfred Basbous open

5 Femme alongée Fadi Alfred Basbous Alfred Basbous Foundation - President The Alfred Basbous Foundation was established by the artist in 2004 to foster an environment receptive to his work and bring modern arts to the attention of a growing public. The Foundation devotes all its resources to uphold the Basbous legacy at his home in Rachana and through exhibitions worldwide, grants to arts organizations and researches at the Alfred Basbous open air Museum. The foundation runs the estate of the artist and have the cultural property for the Bronze cast editions, The open air Museum and Garden, beautifully installed by Fadi Alfred Basbous in 2010 on the ground of its property in the heart of Rachana, houses the collection of the artist and hosts year-round exhibitions for the art lovers and glamorous crowd to celebrate Basbous inspiring creations. Sophia Contemporary Gallery & Alfred Basbous Charity Auction To celebrate the new representation and in line with the gallery s philanthropic values, Sophia Contemporary Gallery and the Alfred Basbous Foundation have partnered with The Centre for Lebanese Studies (CLS) and the Arabic- British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) to organise a charity auction at Sophia Contemporary Gallery in Mayfair, London, on the 17 September The sculpture Femme dans le Sommeil (1970) will be auctioned and the proceeds will go to the Centre of Lebanese Studies. Sophia Contemporary Gallery 11 Grosvenor Street, London, W1K 4QB, UK M: +44 (0) Exclusive representative of the artist estate in the UK.

6 Arab British Chamber of Commerce George Asseily OBE (Chairman) The Arab British Chamber of Commerce is proud to be able to host this exhibition of the work of acclaimed Lebanese sculptor, Alfred Basbous. The exhibition is an opportunity to showcase his unique talent and will enable the British public to become much more familiar with his work. The Chamber was established in 1975 to promote trade, investment and commercial exchange between the United Kingdom and the countries of the Arab world. But trade in its narrow sense has never been its exclusive concern. The arts have always been at the centre of our activities. The promotion of the creative arts are part of the Chamber s efforts to build and strengthen friendship between the British and Arab peoples. Our motto, Friendship through Trade, reflects the core principles that guide the organisation and its activities. The Chamber perceives the arts and creative industries as vital tools for strengthening friendship between different peoples. Sharing and understanding the arts can help build the trust and confidence that are essential for doing business successfully. Over the decades the Chamber has taken a keen interest in the arts and has been closely involved in promoting Anglo-Arab cultural exchange. We have been able to make use of our strategic position within the business sector to help Arab artists to become more widely known in London and across the UK. Some of the finest examples of work by artists from around the Arab world have been introduced to a British audience through the auspices of the Chamber whose premises have frequently hosted exhibitions of paintings, traditional crafts, fashion and design and jewellery. Handicrafts and artefacts from Palestine have been displayed at the Chamber, as well as the work of exclusive Arab fashion designers and collections of Lebanese handmade costume jewellery. The chamber also recognises that the creative industries are becoming increasingly important in the modern economy with media, fashion and the fine arts attracting huge audiences. In fact, many of the chamber s members are working in the fields of the arts and creative industries. The chamber is able to assist them to achieve success in their entrepreneurial activities in this sec tor as in all others. The Chamber s Mayfair premises are very well suited for business events and can accommodate various types of meetings from one-to-one discussions to larger conferences and exhibitions. There are special rates for members. Member companies can promote their products, services and activities through the publications of the Chamber such as its quarterly magazine, Economic Focus. Our publications have frequently featured examples of Arab fine arts and the activities of members who are active in this area. The Chamber s services include certification and legalisation of trade documents, customised research, visas and translation, as well as business events such as seminars and major conferences, which enable unique networking opportunities. Export documentation meets all the certification and legalisation requirements of exporters to the Arab markets providing an important safeguard to ensure that goods reach their destination in a quick and efficient manner. In addition, the Chamber offers efficient professional Arabic-English translation of documents. These translations are accepted by the Arab Embassies and the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office. The Chamber invites all companies whether they are exporters, associations and individuals engaged in commercial transactions between the Arab and British markets, to join us and make use of our services. Mr Georges Asseily was responsible for holding the Alfred Basbous Exhibition in 1993 at the Shroder & Asseily Foundation. George Asseily was born in Beirut and educated in Lebanon and England, at Leeds University and the London School of Economics. He spent many years in Lebanon managing industrial and commercial enterprises and was President of the Lebanese Industrialists Association as well as director of the Beirut Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He was an executive director of the Schroder Asseily group, a joint venture with Schroders Plc, the international merchant bank, and a director of The Royal Bank of Canada, Middle East SAL. In 1984 he co-founded the British Lebanese Association and the Centre for Lebanese Studies, of which he is presently Chairman of the Board of Governors. This is an independent academic research institution that aims to promote international understanding of Lebanon and its related issues and challenges.

7 Alfred is a sculptor of passage, writes renowned poet Paul Shaul. He goes from obsession to obsession, from illusion to illusion, from adventure to adventure, from beautiful madness to beautiful madness, from birth to birth. Picture courtesy of Alfred Basbous foundation archives

8 FIGURATIVE TO ABSTRACTION Phoenician Head 2003 Bronze. 90 x 13 x 17 cm

9 Profile 2004 Bronze. 115 x 15 x 60 cm Tête allongée 2004 Bronze. 100 x 25 x 40 cm

10 Le Rêveur 2002 Bronze. 34 x 15 cm l Ironique 2003 Bronze. 24 x 19 x 7 cm

11 Desire 1987 Bronze. 31 x 29 x 6 cm Acrobat 1997 Bronze. 34 x 26 x 10 cm

12 Acrobat 1987 Bronze. 150 x 142 x 40 cm Mother & Child 1998 Bronze. 90 x 50 x 20 cm

13 Standing Figure 1985 Bronze. 120 x 30 x 20 cm Femme assise 1999 Bronze. 193 x 60 x 90 cm

14 Au bord de l amour 2001 Bronze. 36 x 26 x 17 cm Torse 1970 Bronze. 40 x 37 x 15 cm

15 Femme acroupie 1972 Bronze. 45 x 24 x 28 cm Femme alongée 1972 Bronze. 20 x 44 x 15 cm

16 Gitane 1991 Bronze. 70 x 60 x 25 cm Seated Women 1997 Bronze. 50 x 26 x 15 cm

17 Woman 1982 Bronze polished gold. 22 x 40 x 18 cm Syrène 1985 Bronze. 66 x 105 x 30 cm

18 Accolade x 16 cm Femme flamme 1985 Bronze. 193 x 25 x 25 cm

19 Coule 2002 Bronze. 66 x 28 x 20 cm Composition 1989 Bronze. 64 x 22 x 7 cm

20 Taureau x 70 x 30 cm Abstract 1993 Bronze. 95 x 42 x 20 cm

21 Picture courtesy of Alfred Basbous foundation archives Alfred Basbous Residence. Rachana, Batroun. North Lebanon Mobile: Tel/Fax: info@alfredbasbous.com

artdivano PRESENTS LOCAL TALENT

artdivano PRESENTS LOCAL TALENT One of Bahrain s newest art initiatives, ArtDivano, will be taking part in the highly anticipated ArtBahrain 2015, in a bid to help catapult local artistic talent onto the