Portrait by Falak Shawwa
Artist Statement
Afaf Zurayk
My life in art is a perpetual return to what resonates within me and what prompts me to open gates into unknown gardens: to plant and to weed, to prune and to cultivate, both senses and thoughts into a coherent, organic and complex whole. As I move forward I always return to what underlies my direct experience: a shaft of light. A memory of closeness. The feel of earth as I descend an old staircase. The wind. Riding a wave. Saying something 'right'. Being a part. Forming a whole.
I see my art as a garden without a fence. In the past I built fences that bound my return, my search, in time and in space. Today I feel my garden opening, becoming limitless and free, having been watered by endless journeys of exile and of communion; of love and of separation; of milk and of merging mirrors.
I only wish that my garden is deep enough and expansive enough to contain you. For we are each other's mirror. And our birth grows out of our joint reflection. My hope is that these reflections form the roots for more growth and more love. Despite all.
I was born and grew up in Beirut, Lebanon, the third of four daughters in a closely knit, highly academic family. Always an introvert, I was introduced to art at a very early age. In painting, I discovered a language that gave expression to my thoughts and feelings and conveyed their inner dialogue beyond words. Preparing myself to paint, I spent time in nature, both in solitude and within community, and reveled in its mystery. This enabled me to see from within and to communicate in what connects rather than what separates us.
Curriculum Vitae
Collections
British Museum, London, UK
Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE
Sursock Museum, Beirut, Lebanon
Darat al-Funun, Amman, Jordan
Arab American National Museum, USA
Gallery Representation
Past Exhibitions
Group Exhibition, Huguette Caland, Dorothy Salhab Kazemi and Afaf Zurayk
Oct 7 – Nov 1 · Salon 94, New York, NY
Independent Fair
Sep 4 – Sep 7 · New York, NY
Paintings showcased in conjunction with the exhibition 'Huguette Caland, Bribes de corps', curated by Hannah Feldman
Apr 17 – Aug 2 · The Arts Club of Chicago, Chicago, IL
'Light Enters', two artist exhibition with Amy Todman
15 Beautreillis, Paris, France
Three exhibitions at Saleh Barakat Gallery
Beirut, Lebanon
'shifting lights' exhibition in collaboration with Rami Saab & Noel Nasr
Beit Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
Five exhibitions at Janine Rubiez Gallery
Beirut, Lebanon
Exhibition at Maqam Gallery, with Noel Nasr photographer
Beirut, Lebanon
Three exhibitions at Foundry Gallery
Washington, DC
Three exhibitions at Théâtre de Beyrouth, Goethe Institut and Smuggler's Inn, respectively
Beirut, Lebanon
Selected Group Exhibitions
'Taking Shape, Abstraction in the Arab World, 1950–1980'
Grey Art Gallery, New York, NY
'From Pen to Brush'
Sursock Museum, Beirut, Lebanon
'In/Visible: Contemporary Art by Arab Americans'
Arab American National Museum, Dearborn, MI
'Forces of Change: Artists of the Arab World'
National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC; Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL; Miami-Dade Community College, Miami, FL; Nexus Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta, GA; Bedford Gallery, Regional Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA
Published Art Books
beirut octet
Saleh Barakat Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon — A generation's journey of resilience and faith expressed in paintings and prose. Published in exhibition catalogue. Design, Twig Collaborative.
the view from within, limited edition
Twig Collaborative, Beirut, Lebanon — The development of the artist's work explored as process and thought unfolding in space.
beyond art, limited edition
Twig Collaborative, Beirut, Lebanon — A book of poems and paintings conversing in a changing world.
return journeys
Twig Collaborative, Beirut, Lebanon — Eponymous publication of the retrospective exhibition held that year at Saleh Barakat Gallery.
drawn by light
American University of Beirut Press, Beirut, Lebanon — Selections of paintings and texts looking within while observing from without.
shifting lights
Librairie Antoine Distributor, Beirut, Lebanon — Eponymous catalogue of the Shifting Lights exhibition at Beit Beirut.
drawn poems, limited edition
Self-published — Ink drawings realized in response to three Beethoven piano sonatas.
lovesong
Rimal Publications, Nicosia, Cyprus — A book of poems and paintings on love and loving.
my father. reflections
Librairie Antoine Distributor, Beirut, Lebanon — An experiential multimedia exploration of a complex relationship; sculpture, photography, suggested music. Noel Nasr, photographer.
Interviews
Afaf Zurayk: The Endless Journey of Art
Conversations with Ricardo Karam, #54
Women's Agency in Art: Kinship, Education and Political Activism, Artist Interview, Part 1 & Part 2
Dalloul Art Foundation, Beirut, Lebanon
Lectures
The View from Within
DC Cultural Majlis, Washington, DC
The View from Within
NY Cultural Majlis, New York, NY
Drawn by Light
Ahliah School Centennial Exhibit, Beirut, Lebanon
The Road Less Traveled: The Shaping of a Life in Art
A program by karaz w laimoon and WAAAUB, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
Experience
Educator
Taught at Beirut University College (now Lebanese American University), American University of Beirut, George Washington University, and in continuing education at Corcoran College of Art and Design and Georgetown University. Courses ranged from beginning to advanced studio courses as well as survey courses in art history. Worked closely with students to develop personal vocabulary based on mastery of technique, reliance on imagination and a well-grounded understanding of history.
Art Manager
Alif Gallery, Washington, DC
Educational Administrator
Assistant Director, Ahliah School, Beirut, Lebanon (1971–1973); Director of Student Activities, Beirut University College (now Lebanese American University) (1974–1976)
Education
M.A., Fine Arts
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
B.A., Fine Arts (with distinction)
American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon