Biography
Simone Fattal, born in Damascus in 1942 and raised in Lebanon, studied philosophy at the Ecole des Lettres in Beirut and the Sorbonne in Paris. After returning to Beirut in 1969, she began her painting career and participated in various exhibitions. Following her escape from the Lebanese Civil War in 1980, Fattal moved to California, where she founded the Post-Apollo Press, dedicated to avant-garde literature.
In 1988, Fattal shifted her focus to ceramic sculpture, studying at the Art Institute of San Francisco and later working at Hans Spinner’s workshop in Grasse, France. Her ceramic sculptures, noted for their robust forms and distinctive, elephantine legs, explore themes of gender duality and uncover hidden histories. Fattal also directed the film “Autoportrait” in 2013, which was featured at international film festivals.
Her work has been exhibited globally at prestigious venues including the New Museum in New York, the Sharjah Art Foundation in the UAE, the Cité des Arts in Paris, the Bonnefanten Museum in the Netherlands, and the Beirut Art Centre in Lebanon. Fattal’s relationship with renowned Lebanese visual artist and poet Etel Adnan has been noted for its profound influence on her artistic vision.
Artwork
