Hope despite pain: Retrospective exhibition by Majd Kurdieh starts in Beirut

A retrospective exhibition by Artist Majd Kurdieh has started in Beirut, presented by Fann à Porter in collaboration with Zaat.

On the old walls of Assafir building in Hamra, visitors can follow nine years of the artist's creative journey.

From black and white drawings to colorful breathtaking paintings with Arabic verses about love, hope, and friendship, Kurdieh's magical art will bewitch you.

-What's so special about it?-

Kurdieh has created simple, childish-like characters that easily enter everybody's heart. These characters can "steal your sadness" with their endless cuteness and deep philosophy.

-What inspired the artist?-

Sadness, that's where Kurdieh found his inspiration, he said. From that sadness, he painted hope, a sun, a butterfly, a flower, a sweet beloved, and a mouse who doesn't know what the impossible is. It reminds us of all the beautiful and innocent things in a life that might be sometimes very difficult to live.

"We are obliged to give some hope in order to make this life livable," Kurdieh told reporters.

-Reality through art-

"The concept of home, love, devotion and sadness ring strong in all his creations," Fann à Porter said on its social media account. "Kurdieh is masterful in his ability to express our realities through the strokes of his brush and the power of his words."

The exhibition also features early studies by the artist, including the first sketches of his characters. It continues until June 26.