 Joseph
Matar
>>CV
in Arabic<<
I-Biography:
Born August 3rd, 1935, at Ghadir, Lebanon.
Nationality: French and Lebanese.
Schooled at the Marist Brethren, Jounieh.
Polyglot.
Art Scholarships from
governments:
- Madrid , 1961-1963
- Paris , 1963
- Rome , 1973
- Paris , 1985
Practice in studios of
a:
- Omar Onsi's, 1951-1961
- George Corm's, 1958-1961
- Rachid Wehbe's, 1955-1957
- Italian Cultural Centre, Beirut,
1955-1957
- Ecole Supérieure des lettres, Beirut,
1955-1957
- Beirut Faculty of medicine (Anatomy),
1958-1959
Diplomas:
- Diplomas of Higher Studies, Madrid
University and San Fernando School of Fine Arts, 1961-1963.
- Doctorate 3rd cycle, University of
Paris. “ Plastic arts, pictorial technology and expression.”
- Doctorat d' Etat 1999, Lebanese
University.
Assignments:
- Lebanese State instructor since 1954.
- In charge of refresher courses for
Lebanese art instructors in Beirut, Tripoli and Byblos state high
schools, since 1965.
- Instructor of Fine Arts at Holy Spirit
University, Kaslik, since 1963.
- Titular professor of the Lebanese
University.
- Chairman of the Drawing and Painting
Department at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Lebanese University,
1980-1985 and 1994-1996; member of the Faculty Council.
Exhibitions:
- More than sixty-five personal exhibitions
in Lebanon and around the world.
- Works in private collections, public,
religious and private corporations around the world :
- France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland,
United Kingdom, Germany, Vatican, United States,Canada, Nigeria,
Ivory Coast, Ghana, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela,
Argentina, Abu Dabi, Irak, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Emirats,
Kuwait, Cyprus and Egypt
- A watercolor by the
artist (32 x 50 cm - $ 900 US ) was sold during the National Apostolate
of Maronites (July 9 - 13, 2003)
Interviews:
- Courses of artistic formation on
Lebanese Television, for all students at universities and teachers’
training colleges.
- Radio - BBC, Voice of America,
Montecarlo, France and Kuwait Radio, Radio Liban.
- TV - Kuwaiti and Lebanese.
Publications by the
artist concerning his work:
- Several articles in the local and
International press.
- Several talks given in educational
institutions in Lebanon and abroad.
- Polycopied courses for secondary
(senior high) school classes and the teachers’ training college.
- Teachers’ book in Arabic for the
Centre for pedagogic research and Development
- A book about the artist's work:
Peintures du Liban –Joseph Matar - Tanit Edition -1996.
- Mentioned in the book "Pioneers
from Lebanon" Ed. 2000.
- The work of Joseph Matar was critiqued
on April 11, 2000 by Joanna Bassil (Bachelor of Arts degree, University
of Quebec - Montreal, Canada).- A question of culture
and formation which finds its expression in the work of Joseph
Matar.
- His poetry has been mentioned in
"Dreams and Fantasies" part of The Silence Within
series by The International Library of Poetry.
- The works of Joseph Matar appear
in the book "Histoire de l'art du 20ème siècle, artiste peintre
Joseph Matar", Tome III, Académie Michel Angelo
des beaux arts, Beirut, by Alice Atwé under the supervision of
Bernard Renno.
- In July 2001, his poetry was recognized
by an award for outstanding achievement from the international
library of poetry (Library of Congress ISBN-0-7951-5062-8).
- Mentioned in the book "Arab
Artists Resource Guide", an exclusive directory of Arab cultural
representatives - Edition 2003.
- The work of Joseph Matar was critiqued
on March 6, 2003 by Jean-Maximillien de la Croix De Lafayette
(Music and Art Society of America, Inc., President Emeritus),
Meet Joseph Matar: The Artist who spoke to nature and unveiled
its divine beauty!
- The work of Joseph Matar was critiqued
on April 19, 2003 by Joan Lluís Montané from the International
Association of Art Critics.
- Mentioned in the Art magazine "Amman";
Number 100 - October 2003.
- In November 2003, his work was recognized
by an award for outstanding achievement from "Said Akl Awards".
- Mentioned in the magazine "Cantos
Cadre" Canada; Volume 2 - Fall 2003.
- A masterpiece by the artist was
featured on a greeting card (20.000 printed cards) to promote
the commemoration of the Deir Yassin massacre of Palestinians
in 1948 - Sunday, April 4th, 2004 at the Royal Geographical Society,
Kensington Gore, London SW7
- The work
of Joseph Matar was critiqued on May, 2004 by David Nye, Joseph
Matar: "Wealth of Artistic creativity and abundance of mesmerizing
multidimensional colors - The Last Hurrah of the last great masters
of the grand Orient".
- The works
of Joseph Matar appear in the Images of Eyes Gallery - United
States, October 2004.
- An article
has been published about Joseph Matar in "New York arts Magazine",
Vol 9 n' 11/12, 04, New York USA.
- Mentioned in the "Dictionnaire
Drouot Cotation 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 - Larousse Diffusion".
- Mentioned in the book 'Christianisme
Oriental Kérygme et Histoire" Geuthner, 2007.
II-Articles:
Whatever he is doing, Joseph Matar gives
himself heart and soul. His eyes embrace all, but he sees in depths
beyond what his eyes see, perceiving what only the Spirit can perceive!
This is what he is and this is his whole way of being: joyful at being
present, overflowing with intense tenderness and vitality, smiling when
he greets the rays of sunrise, in other words when embracing existence
itself.
Beware when you approach him, for his thousand-sided flame sears and
burns, awakens and gives pulsating life! His rhythm with the pen is in
tune with his breathing that brings into play his heart and his eyes and
his soul! Whether his arm is a cutting point, a lead pencil or ink, he
opens before us a new world. Like the door of Ali Baba's treasure
opening in obedience to a spoken word, he tells us on a virgin page the
love story of a heart which loves without ever drying up!
With his pencil he expresses the bewitching capricious magic which
shows him reaching to the stars or plucking a modest daisy. The line he
follows is that of the will and of love. Over the fifty-five years
during which he has been revealing himself, he has ever continued to
learn, learning to break in, to domesticate, to humanise all that stands
in his path. His desire has always been to pass beyond them all the
better to affront whatever the future may bring. Alas! how many
expressions there are without effect, without a soul able to reveal
itself, how many prayers seeking to rise up without any religion, how
much religion without prayer!
Yet is not the final purpose beyond pictorial art, prayer and religion
to attain what is supremely sacred? It is something sacred to pass on a
heritage, without more verbiage. The stars do not hide their faces, they
do not hide their light! Being present, they send forth their rays and
reveal their beauty, from which men of every condition have profited
throughout the ages.
This bard of legends and allegories works far removed from words and
from pointless chatter. He has his vocabulary, human and universal, with
which he speaks to the great ones of the earth and to the little ones,
all those who have eyes to see with and hearts to feel with. He always
returns to the same story, his own story, the story of existence. This
colourful saga must always remain unique, in a state of movement, the
saga of changing the world! What a task, what an esthetic experiment.
Here you are invited to the great feast, mystical and enchanting. In
this movement from which you find yourself unable to separate yourself
you will redouble your efforts, for "humanising God" is no light
undertaking. More difficult yet is "divinising man"! Allegories of
creators and created, swirling whirlpools of grace, of brilliance and of
charm... in an eternal love, an eternal spring of metamorphosis and
renewal.
Boutros GERMANI
►► Some
of the artist's artwork
►► Meet the artist in Art Direct Sale!
►► Some
of the artist's poetry
►► Art Prints available!
Contact: info@lebanonart.com
Online Portfolio available at www.lebanonart.com
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