Painting by Jean Gemayel in the Monaco pavilion at the exhibition
“Women are everything.” 29 paintings evoke Gibran’s spirit at “Expo”
Jane Gemayel's spontaneous lines capture the sense of movement within the drawing.
Photography: Youssef Al Harmoudi
Jane Gemayel: "I hope to visit Dubai in the future because of the vibrant life in this city in all its seasons, especially on the artistic level."
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In her first exhibition in Dubai, artist Jane Gemayel evokes the spirit of the creative Gibran Khalil Gibran, through 29 paintings she presents at the Monaco pavilion at “Expo 2020”, focusing on the beauty of women and the concepts of life that revolve around them, inspired by the words of the late Lebanese poet: “Women are everything.” ».
Jane told "Emirates Today": "On my first visit to Dubai, and from the gateway to the (Expo 2020) exhibition, which brings the whole world together under one dome, I was keen to present 29 artworks that I carefully selected out of more than 1,000 paintings that included my career, all of which focused on (Woman), inspired by the works of the late great author Gibran, specifically his saying: (Woman is everything) she is the link in which all the elements of society are completed.
Jane was born in Ontario, Canada, before moving and living in the Principality of Monaco, and discovered at an early age a deep passion for books and dictionaries, and an unlimited love for words. It has since given her meaning to her way of approaching life and art, and charting a course for herself.
She explained: “There was a charming beauty that attracted me to Gibran’s work that brings harmony and peace, so I consider it a source of rationality in an irrational world. With all its seasons and beauty”, to represent my artworks and paintings in most of them, in response to the aesthetic research that he founded on depicting the human body, especially the female body, in search of the ideal beauty.”
"Arabesque" oriental
The artist added: "Every book you read by Gibran according to your age, adds a new dimension to your cultural inventory, to extract all of my thoughts in artistic works from the intellectual maturity that I was inspired by in general from Gibran's books that I read all of them several times."
Regarding her artistic style, Jane continued: “I rely mainly in my works on the concepts of engineering sciences and the Indian style, as I start work, without prior planning, by focusing on circles and angles, before starting to draw the movement of the body in black ink, with spontaneous lines, embodying the sense of movement within the drawing. Through the use of oriental (arabesque) motifs and dense lines as an expressive means full of energy, to complete the idea of the work or the painting by elevating the elements, bodies and beauty, to symbolic values that express the tenderness of the soul, through female figures whose faces transmit feelings.”
first impression
And about her impression of what she saw on her first visit to Dubai, Jane Gemayel confirmed that “the positive energy is wonderful here in the Emirates, especially in the factors of safety for all and the efficacy of the precautionary measures applied compared to the atmosphere prevailing in Europe as a result of the pandemic, since my arrival in Dubai I felt great comfort and joy in the interaction that I saw.” In the «Expo» in general, and visitors to my art exhibition in particular.
She expressed her wishes to visit Dubai in the future, "because of this city's vibrant life in all its seasons, especially at the artistic level, in addition to being an Arab city that speaks the same language for my inspirations, Gibran Khalil Gibran, in love for his philosophy that led me previously to visit his hometown in Lebanon."
It is noteworthy that the Monaco Pavilion at Expo 2020 was inspired by the famous “Rock of Monaco”, and embodies the great diversity of the emirate’s characteristics, professions and activities, as it seeks, through the International Exhibition in Dubai, to introduce its society and features of its national, cultural and environmental identity, in addition to To its extensive experience in the fields of education, construction, science, power generation and other vital sectors.
Starting point
The Canadian artist who lives in Monaco, Jane Gemayel, said, "The written word and the impressionistic image remain in my mind about what I read, the starting point in my paintings, especially those that denounce the loss of societal values such as love, tolerance, peace and freedom, in ideas that Gibran focused on in his writings more than From 100 years old.”
• 1000 paintings included in the artist's journey, whose summary she chose to present in her first presence in Dubai.
• “There is an enchanting beauty that attracts me to Gibran’s works, which bring harmony and peace, and I consider them a source of rationality in an irrational world.”