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With his remarkably sharp brushstrokes, Ayman Baalbaki depicts Beirut's seemingly never-ending process of construction, destruction and reconstruction. Born and raised at the height of the Lebanese Civil War, he uses his paintings to strip down representations of his native country exploring the unfortunate themes of loss, emptiness, both emotional and physical, retribution and identity.
The artist explains that his generation has been left with contradictions of war, but that its reminders are being erased. However, to say that Ayman Baalbaki's theme is of war would be an oversimplification of his work as he is not fascinated by war, but rather by its impact on the human psyche and more
specifically, on his own.
His work remains to a large degree introspective in nature, perhaps at times autobiographical. The building he depicts, dominating the canvas, is an allegory to his and his fellow's collective consciousness. He uses bold and violent Neo-Expressionist brushstrokes to create a destroyed featureless building, devoid of life and filled with history and memories of the past. Yet, his work is not dark nor nihilistic; rather by painting these bleeding souls, Baalbaki reconstructs an image based on a deconstructed material, which along with the pink sky, suggests a strong sense of acceptance and hope, reminding the viewer that life can take root in the most hostile circumstances and that a brighter future is yet to rise.