Elie Kanaan (Lebanese, 1926-2009)

A graceful composition of open horizons and organized chaos, this works depicts a sense of loneliness and solitude but in a palette of warm greens and reds that offers a glimmer of hope.

Although seemingly naïve in its composition and relatively muted brushstrokes, upon closer inspection, the viewer realizes that the lady's head is bowed in what appears to be sadness with her back turned towards the viewer. In presenting her in this manner, Kanaan exemplifies further her isolation. What has led her to wander into the field alone? Kanaan's ambiguity thus gives the viewer two significant realities; the physical reality of the painting and the implied reality of the image, which co-exist exquisitely in an impeccable marriage of unexpected tones.

Renowned for the power of his colours and light, Lebanese artist Elie Kanaan developed his distinctive style in his early twenties, he was particularly inspired by the Fauvists, having studied in Paris where he was able to admire their strong expressive compositions and use of free colours. Leaving his pieces consistently recognizable, yet never repetitive. The experience of paint, becoming almost the subject itself, is tastefully enhanced and blurred into a world where shapes are born from colour.