Official Iraqi Recognition for the Lebanese Artist Gebran Tarazi

Ammon

a day ago

Ammon News - By Khudhair Al-Zaidi- The Lebanese artist "Gebran Tarazi", a pioneer of contemporary Arab geometric arts, has recently received official recognition in Iraq from prominent academic and artistic figures. Iraqi art scholar Dr. Asim Abdul Amir Al-Asam, a professor of aesthetics at the College of Fine Arts at the University of Babylon, dedicated an article titled "Gebran Tarazi…The Functionalistic and the Aesthetic" to Tarazi, published on the cultural platform "Qannas". The article was later translated into French and English and republished in Lebanon's "Awraq Thaqafya" (Cultural Papers) magazine (a journal of arts and humanities).
Dr. Asim's article deeply explored the essence of Gebran Tarazi's legacy, offering valuable analytical insights through the lens of aesthetic philosophy. He studied the contrasts and harmonies within Tarazi's artistic journey, recognizing him as one of the key figures in contemporary Arab art.
Since 2023, I too have been following Gebran Tarazi's work closely, gathering enough material to write two books:
"Gebran Tarazi: A Story of Oriental Creativity", published by the "Adib Books" Publishing House in Amman, Jordan (2024)
and "Gebran Tarazi: Pioneer of Authenticity and Innovation", published in Baghdad (2025)
In both, I tried to present an Iraqi perspective that differed from that of other critics by analyzing his experience and accessing his visionary imagination. His abstract geometric art, mirrors, and oriental chests reveal a creative force that blends heritage with innovation. I also sought to compare his intellectual propositions with those of renowned Iraqi art artist "Shaker Hassan Al Said".
Tarazi dedicated his career to preserving and showcasing Arab Oriental identity, skillfully incorporating it into contemporary artistic theories and techniques. He hailed from the distinguished "Tarazi" family, known for their craftsmanship in oriental arts for over 160 years—particularly in geometric woodwork, arabesque, and raised floral motifs traditionally used in luxurious oriental palaces. Tarazi mastered traditional techniques and decorative motifs with striking aesthetic compositions. His son, "Marc Tarazi", shared that his father spent part of his life in the Kingdom of Morocco and the rest in Beirut, practicing traditional Arab arts and producing numerous artworks.
In 1988, Gebran Tarazi transitioned into a new artistic phase, gaining attention from Arab and Iraqi critics. His work has since been the subject of several analytical articles in leading Iraqi newspapers, including "Al-Mada", "Al-Sabah", "Al-Alem, and "Al-Sabah Al-Jadeed", as well as the journal "Al-Adib Al-Iraqi" in addition to a range of other Arab cultural publicatios.
Why This Iraqi Celebration of a Lebanese Artist?
The family of Gebran Tarazi actively works to introduce his artistic legacy to Iraqi intellectuals and researchers. Their first step was through collaboration with the "Ibrahimi Collection for Iraqi Fine Art", to whom they gifted documents and visual books about Gebran Tarazi's artistic and humanistic journey. The family went further, donating a collection of precious publications to leading Iraqi cultural institutions. These were presented to Dr. Arif Al-Saedi, cultural advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister and elected recently President of the The General Union for the Literaries and Writers in Iraq, and to Dr. Qassem Mohsen Hassan, Director General of the Department of Public Arts and who also oversees the National Museum of Modern Art in Baghdad.
This was part of a broader initiative to document Gebran Tarazi's contributions to Arab visual identity—an artist for the Arab world, across the Arab world, especially now embraced by the prestigious Iraqi cultural landscape.
Among the gifted materials were high-quality books such as:
Gebran Tarazi – Geometric Variations (French/Arabic), authored by Tarazi himself, published by Fine Art Publishing, Lebanon, 2007
Gebran Tarazi – The Twelve Seasons (French/English), written by French art historian "Morad Montazami", published by "Zaman" in Paris, 2017
Gebran Tarazi – A Story of Oriental Creativity and Gebran Tarazi – Pioneer of Authenticity and Innovation, both authored by Iraqi critic Khudhair Al-Zaidi
About the Artist Gebran Tarazi:
Gebran Tarazi (1944–2010) was born into a family of artisans and oriental antique dealers. His deep passion for Oriental arts accompanied a lifelong dream of becoming a writer. He ventured into experimental literature as well, penning the dialogue-based novel "The Olive Press" in 1979, which was finally published by French publisher L'Harmattan in 1996.
After the closure of the Tarazi family company for traditional oriental arts in 1986, Gebran moved to Mount Lebanon and settled in the village of Ballouneh, where he devoted himself to painting. Over 17 years, he created nearly 300 artworks, exploring various combinations of geometric abstraction. He painted spontaneously and later reflected analytically, authoring the 2007 book "Geometric Variations", which organized his work into 12 stylistic and chronological series. That book also includes his philosophical manifesto 'The Oriental Need', a powerful manifesto on modern art.
He left behind a trove of artistic and literary notes from 1970 to 1980. Today, his legacy attracts growing interest from museum curators and academics in Lebanon, France, Tunisia, Qatar, and especially Iraq.
In 2023, the Guggenheim Museum in New York acquired a triptych by Tarazi, as announced by Saleh Barakat, director of the Saleh Barakat Gallery in Beirut. Back in 2015, the Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha acquired 50 paintings, the largest known collection of his work.
Moreover, Juliana Khalaf Salhab, director of the Beirut Museum of Art (BeMA), revealed to 'This is Beirut' that her team has digitized archival material on Gebran Tarazi dating from his first exhibition in 1993 through to 2023. These include critical articles and personal correspondence, alongside photographs of his artworks, which will soon be accessible through the museum's digital platform. She stated: 'We will soon launch a digital platform for researchers and the public", expressing hope that it will stimulate further research on Lebanese artists.
On the academic front, Dr. Dima Hamdan, professor of French literature at the Lebanese University, has included Tarazi in the 2024 postgraduate curriculum in French literary studies.
All of these efforts highlight the enduring impact of an artist who challenged convention and elevated the value of craftsmanship, proving that aesthetic beauty can, indeed, speak to our deepest artistic yearnings. Tarazi's abstract geometric works continue to ignite enthusiasm across the Arab world, especially in Iraq.