B. 1986
Chafa Ghaddar was born in Lebanon and currently lives in Dubai. She graduated from ALBA, Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts, where she earned her Bachelor degree in Fine Arts in 2007 and her Master’s degree in Visual Arts in 2009. In 2012, she attended an intensive course in fresco and traditional painting techniques in Florence, Italy.
While developing a career in wall painting and surface finishing, she explores the use of fresco in contemporary practices as well as other processes, and works equally with murals, painting, drawing, photography and mixed media. She executes site-specific and public art works and has participated in several collective exhibitions between Beirut, Dubai, New York, Brussels and Verona, Italy. She was awarded the Boghossian Art Prize for painting in 2014, and was artist in residence at the Villa Empain in Brussels in October and November 2015.
Ghaddar had her debuting Solo show “The Visit” at Galerie Tanit, Beirut in 2018, followed by “Cacti in a daydream”in 2021. She has been selected by Tashkeel Studio as part of their Critical Practice Program 2018/2019 and exhibited with them “Recesses”, her first solo show in the UAE.
Chafa was commissioned to produce a site-specific work for the 16th Lyon Biennale “Manifesto of Fragility” curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath.
CHAFA GHADDAR ON FRESCO
"Fresco matures twice. In its first stage, it is a work of construction: surfaces are initiated, visuals are painted, the artist is active and the medium becomes solid. In its second stage, the work manifests itself through its own degradation: the decay of the skin, the absence of the artist and the resistance of what remains.
Through frescoes I explore the manifestation of time on surfaces. Historical gesture appears in conversation with the present. Traces are evoked or retained, then investigated. Temporalities clash. I explore the paradox of a medium that can be timeless and vulnerable at once. I combine it with other techniques, particularly to process the idea of trace and fragmentation of time and space. I contest its immaculate historicity to suggest new boundaries and territories. I relate to the sensuality of its surfaces that encapsulate every gesture and every error. I see it as a living material, constantly subject to growth. Fresco allows me to pierce an ecosystem of consistencies and paradoxes, and make them mine".
EDUCATION
2007, BA in Fine Arts, ALBA, Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts, Beirut
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024, Your Sun That Kept Setting, Maraya Art Centre, Sharjah
2023, Beneath Latent Skies, Tabari Artspace, UAE
2021, Cacti in a Daydream, Galerie Tanit hors-les-murs, Beirut
2019-2020, Recesses, Tashkeel Studios and Galleries, Dubai
2018, The Visit, Galerie Tanit, Beirut
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024, In Real TIme, NYU Abu Dhabi
2021, HOW WILL IT END? Fondation Boghossian, Brussels, curated by Alicia Knock and Louma Salame
2021, I AM ONE ACQUAINTED WITH THE NIGHT, Studio La Citta, Verona, Italy
2018, Made in Tashkeel, Dubai
2017, Feminites Plurielles, Galerie Tanit, Beirut
2016, City and City, the Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries, New York (curated by Natasha Marie Llorens)
2015, L’espace de la feuille, Galerie Tanit, Beirut (curated by Clémence Cottard and Marc Mouarkech)
2014, Nostalgic Imagery, Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Beirut (curated by Nadine Majdalani Bekdache and BAKS/art concepts)
Journey through our Heritage, Beirut Exhibition Centre (curated by Janine Maamari)
2011, Beirut Past and Present, Art Lounge and Kaslik University, Beirut (curated by Yasmine Chemaly)
2010, Space of crime, village of Maaser el Chouf, Lebanon (curated by Ghada Hage)
2009, Tout un chacun, VIeme Jeux de la Francophonie, Unesco, Beirut (curated by Ghada Hage)
Badger I, UN évenement autour de l’image, in a factory in Bourj Hammoud, Beirut (curated by Ghada Hage)
2012, Exposure 2012, a juried group exhibition at Beirut Art Centre, Beirut, Jury: Amanda Abi Khalil (curator), Gilbert Hage (artist), Jannane al-Ani (artist), Khalil Rabah (artist) and the board of Beirut Art Center
ART FAIRS
2024, Abu Dhabi Art, UAE
Art Dubai, UAE
2023, Abu Dhabi Art, UAE
2022, MENART FAIR Paris- Galerie Tanit Beirut/Munich
2021, MENART FAIR Paris- Une histoire de Bleu, Galerie Tanit Beirut/Munich
2018, Beirut Art Fair, Galerie Tanit Beirut/Munich
2018, Art Dubai, Galerie Tanit Beirut/Munich- Booth B5
BIENNALES
2022, Commissioned to be part of the 16th Lyon Biennale “Manifesto of fragility” curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Felrath
COLLECTIONS
Public: Boghossian Art Foundation, Brussels & Tashkeel Art Foundation, Dubai, Fondation Saradar, Beirut.
Corporate: Byblos Bank Headquarters, Beirut
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2020, Blue was a Revolution: ongoing notes towards fresco
Recesses- Catalogue for the solo show
2019, Feminites Plurielles, Galerie Tanit, Beirut
Apres l’Alba- Academie Libanaise des Beaux Arts, Beirut
2012, Exposure 2012- Beirut Art Center
2013, Journey through our Heritage, Beirut Exhibition Center
2020, A Lexicon in Celebration of Chafa Ghaddar’s Recesses by Jill Magi
Recesses by Kevin Jones
The Diary of an artist in interesting times- SELECTIONS MAGAZINE
2018, The Residues of Elsewhere by Kevin Jones
Le WAW, A Wondrous Visit from Chafa Ghaddar
2017, Art Dubai Blog, Q&A with A.I.R. Dubai 2017 Artist Chafa Ghaddar
Art Dubai Blog, A.I.R. DUBAI 2017
2016, ABSENT BEIRUT: Reflections on Reflections, Ibraaz, written by Natasha Marie Llorens
RESIDENCIES AND AWARDS
2024, Teaching Artist Fellowship, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Fresco public commission, Al Safa Library, Dubai, UAE
2014, awarded the Boghossian Art Prize for Painting
2007, Scholarship, ENSBA, Paris (October-November)
2015, Boghossian Art Foundation, Brussels, (October-November)
2007, La Corbiere Village Nomade, Switzerland (July)