Mohammad El Rawas

Biography

Mohammad El Rawas, born on May 26, 1951, in Beirut, Lebanon, is a distinguished contemporary artist whose work has significantly shaped the Lebanese art scene. He studied painting at the Institute of Fine Arts at the Lebanese University, graduating in 1975, and later pursued printmaking at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London. His early work, created during the Lebanese Civil War, reflects the tumultuous impact of conflict on Beirut, presenting complex spatial compositions that explore memory, trauma, and sociopolitical contradictions.

Following a two-year hiatus from painting during the war, El Rawas relocated to Morocco in 1977, where he resumed his artistic practice and taught in Rabat. He held his first solo exhibition in Beirut in 1979 before earning an MA in printmaking in London. Returning to Lebanon in 1981, he contributed to the academic community as a teacher at the Lebanese University and the American University of Beirut, where he established studios for etching, engraving, and silkscreen.

El Rawas’ work, which evolved to incorporate mixed media and abstract expressionist elements, includes innovative uses of wood, aluminum, and string. His artistic style, reflective of his experiences and the sociopolitical landscape of Lebanon, has been exhibited internationally and garnered numerous awards. He continues to live and work in Beirut.

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