Embassy

Epitomising the deeply emotive and politically charged qualities that give Middle Eastern art such a profound visual language, it is evident that Ayman Baalbaki is all too familiar with the feelings of aggression and defensiveness. The deep emotions that permeate his canvases and inform every brushstroke stem from the sense of displacement, loss and instability he experienced growing up in a war-riddled environment. Through his Expressionist-style approach to the canvas, Baalbaki shows the effects of the war that range beyond the extent of personal loss.

The politically rooted message of Embassy addresses the consistently turbulent nature of the relationship between America and Lebanon. Using a circular shaped canvas to portray the US Embassy in a state of ruin, with its right-side crumbling before our eyes, Baalbaki capitalises on his masterful technique to heighten the drama of the scene. As though caught at the very moment of the building’s collapse, we see the layers of falling brick and debris tumble to the ground. Each of his brushstrokes is imbued with a dynamic sense of chaos, heightened through the generous application of paint and exaggerated use of colour which helps to create the flurry of action. By showing not only the emotional and personal trauma of the war, but rather the large-scale structures which too remain vulnerable to the wraths of war, Baalbaki documents the extent of damage that has the ability to bring down even the most fortified of structures.