Henri Asmar - Think it over again - soon in Beit Beirut

The sun, the sea, the sky - Henri Asmar (Acrylic on canvas)

Lizard King - Henri Asmar (Acrylic and spray paint on canvas)

Henri Asmar, a Lebanese architect who graduated from the American University of Beirut, is making his first foray in the art world in a solo exhibition at Beit Beirut which will take place between 11 and 13th of September. His works, lively, vibrant but also structurally cohesive are grouped under the title "think it over again" - an apt name which invites the viewer to dig deeper into the works which seem as if Jean-Michel Basquiat and Fernand Leger had a love child as they oscillate between graffiti and two-dimensional interpretations. What seems chaotic is actually an organized madness with a clear thread that runs through the works.
In his own words, Asmar says: "I think architecture is a culmination of many elements working together to create a project. You have to be a thinker, a poet, an artist, a sculptor, a photographer, a scientist, a lover, a hater, a philosopher, a partygoer, a dancer, a businessman, a politician, alive" and as his architectural thinking becomes artistic works, it is no wonder they blend all these elements into large scale canvas. Collectors already snapped up some of the pieces - and agreed to lend them from their private collections for the exhibition.

Disclosure: Henri is a second degree cousin, but my text and appreciation are independent of our blood relation.