NOW AND TEN

*33
AYMAN BAALBAKI
(LEBANESE, B. 1975)
Untitled
signed in Arabic and dated ‘15’ (lower right)
acrylic on canvas
78æ x 98¡in. (200 x 250cm.)
Painted in 2015
US$120,000-150,000
AED440,000-550,000
PROVENANCE:
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner.
The ever-continuing confict within the Middle
East has plagued the minds of numerous artists,
however none tackle it with as much vigour and
bursting creative expression as Ayman Baalbaki.
Ranging from his subject matter to his complex
artistic methodology, Baalbaki has the ability
to transform the one-dimensional plane of the
canvas into an overwhelmingly turbulent surface
of creative dynamism. Born in 1975, the year of
the Lebanese Civil War, it was inevitable that the
dramatic imagery and strong emotional turmoil
would extensively permeate his oeuvre, critically
informing the trajectory of his visual language.
He uses his powerful feelings as the ammunition
to craft beautifully intense works of art, using
the subject-matter of war as a vehicle for his
artistic expression.
It is with great excitement that Christie’s presents
a monumental work from Baalbaki’s oeuvre,
part of a collection entitled Destruction & Loss,
through which he confdently tackles the ravaging
efects of Middle Eastern conficts. Through
tremendous visual complexity, Baalbaki attempts
to re-construct the savage ruins of bombed out
buildings. By flling the entirety of the picture
Ayman Baalbaki, Untitled, 2010. Tate Modern.
© Agial Gallery.
plane, his technical mastery combines a unique
formulation of space and dimensionality to breathe
new life into the reconstruction of war-plagued
structures. Despite the visible violence of the
scenes he creates, his approach to painting seems
to soften and invigorate the subject, making the
scene one of fascination rather than negative
feeling. With a comparable work having recently
been acquired by the Tate Modern in London for
their permanent collection, the skillfulness of such
a piece is unprecedented.
By painting with aggression onto his canvases,
these visceral explorations stem from the
displacement, loss and instability Baalbaki
experienced growing up in a war-riddled society. As
a painter with the skill to portray both portraits and
landscapes with equal creativity and fnesse, he
ensures that each one of his canvases are unique.
Known for two distinct series of works, Destruction
& Loss - the one from which this present work is
taken and the Moulatham series which presents
veiled war heroes, Baalbaki expresses the true
diversity of his creative abilities and proves himself
to be a master of the monumental.
In this present work, we see broken buildings
depicted in the expressionist style that is known
to be his signature. Formulating a practice that is
truly his own, the artist revives otherwise desolate
and depressing images of the architectural
damage of war into tableaus of dynamic structural
representation. Painting with conviction, the
confdence he possesses in his style is the
inherent outcome of his painterly skill. Despite the
literal qualities of the displayed scene, Baalbaki’s
densely packed acrylic canvases do far more than
serve a monotonous documentary purpose. On the
contrary, the artist uses these structures as the
visual apparatus for sharing his personal traumas.
The thick application of paint orchestrates a
new dimension of dynamism which he achieves
with every brushstroke. Each one contributing
to the impasto technique that forms thick layers
of paint on his canvases, they help to create a
unique surface texture that attempts to mimic the
complexity of the devastated environment he is
trying to portray.
Fuelled by the personal trauma induced by the
war, it is undoubted that Baalbaki’s canvases are
the result of a deeply intimate moment he shares
with his canvases. As a form of emotional release,
painting provides the artist with the sense of
liberation envied under the societal pressures and
restrictions of war. At frst glance, the contrast
between the sunset-kissed sky seems to bring
a sense of lightness to the predominantly dark
and solemn scene below, however upon closer
investigation, the juxtaposition seems less than
obvious. With the unusual traces of pink permeating
into the rubble of the damaged structure, there is
a visual sense of continuity that has a profound
impact on our visual perspective. Translating into
a more fuid and less stark visual representation,
Baalbaki’s attention to detail amongst the myriad
of colours and chaos he portrays on his canvases is
tremendous. Softening the scene with a rosy pink
hue, one sees this less as a scene of violence, but
more as one of sadness and loss, eschewing the
aggressive for the troubled or wounded.
What further enhances Baalbaki’s unusual
technique is his fascinating ability to convey a
sense of movement on the canvas. Constructing
scenes of resounding energy, each stroke is
emotionally charged and intricately purposeful,
each one armed with a strong sense of conviction.
As though we are looking at a photograph,
Baalbaki has the ability to capture this moment as
if a snapshot in time. With its monumental scale,
the work transports the viewer in the action of the
deconstruction, consumed by its intricacies and
bold subject matter.
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