“Some people say that people are aware of Lebanon because of Gibran Khalil Gibran, we are proud of that.” These were the words of Dr. Joseph Geagea, the Director of the Gibran National Museum, who was part of a panel discussion, held on Friday as part of the Sharjah International Book Fair, on the artistic works of the famous Lebanese poet, artist, philosopher and author.Alongside Dr. Geagea was Dr. Tarek Chidiac, president of the National Gibran Committee who took the audience through the various events in Gibran’s life and the people he met how they affected his writings and arts. He said that as a child, Gibran liked to spend time alone drawing on paper or the walls of his house. Later on in life he went to live in Boston in the United States, France and then back to the United States, this time in New York.
“He went to New York because he wanted to establish a career and spread the word about his work. He stopped writing in Arabic and started to write in English. Before then he used to contribute to Arabic newspapers that were published in the US,” said Chidiac adding that his writings that criticized political and religious authorities gained popularity in some Arab countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Egypt.Gibran then wrote The Prophet, the most-selling book written in the 20th century, which included his opinions on social issues. “The publisher couldn’t believe that it sold more than 5000 books in less than one month, then by the end of that year 100,000 books. Today, there are more than 100 million copies sold around the world,” he said.
Dr. Geagea spoke about his artistic influences and interpretations of some of his work. He said that Gibran can be considered an innovator in any age. “When asked why he doesn’t sign his paintings, Gibran said that ‘when people will see my paintings they’ll know it is me’,” he said.
He took the audience through the five stages of Gibran’s art from his beginnings until his death, speaking about the development of the mediums that he used from oil paint to charcoal to water paints. “He flourished in his paintings and visual arts in France. His work developed a notable development there as he tested reality and developed his sense of color. His vision grew and developed during this period,” said Dr. Geagea.He quoted Gibran saying: ‘Some feel that art is the imitation of nature but nature is so magnificent that it is impossible to imitate’ and saying ‘The mission of art is in transmitting the soul of a tree not accurately portraying its leaves and branches. Art should transmit the soul of the sea not the blue waves.’The discussion panel was organized by the Sharjah Art Museum that is organizing from October 7 to December 10, in collaboration with the Gibran National Committee, an arts exhibition title “Drawings of Gibran: A Humane Perspective.” Showcased in the exhibition are 50 manuscripts and works made of different mediums including watercolors, oils and charcoal on paper and canvas.