Ayman Baalbaki: "Ceci n'est pas la Suisse", 16 October - 12 November 2009

‘UNTITLED’, 150 X 200 CM, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 2009

AYMAN BAALBAKI CECI N’EST PAS LA SUISSE (SWITZERLAND IT AIN’T)

AYMAN BAALBAKI C

‘CONTRE-JOUR’ 9, 45 X 65 CM, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 2009

’CONTRE-JOUR’ 2, 65 X 45 CM, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 2009

‘CONTRE-JOUR’ 8, 45 X 65 CM, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 2008

‘CONTRE-JOUR’ 7, 65 X 45 CM, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 2008

CECI N’EST PAS LA SUISSE

‘CONTRE-JOUR’ 10, 45 X 65 CM, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 2009

‘CONTRE-JOUR’ 4, 65 X 45 CM, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 2009

‘ICI EST AILLEURS’, 180 X 250 CM, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 2009

‘BEING THERE II’, 200 X 150 CM, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 2009

E SWITZERLAND IT AIN’T PAINTER AND MIXED-MEDIA ARTIST AYMAN BAALBAKI WAS BORN IN ODEISSÉ, SOUTH LEBANON, IN 1975 – THE YEAR THE CIVIL WAR BEGAN. HIS WORK IS CLOSELY LINKED TO THE TURMOIL OF HIS COUNTRY, ITS DESTRUCTION AND HIS OWN PERSONAL ODYSSEY: HE WAS FORCED, LIKE MANY OF HIS NEIGHBOURS, TO FLEE HIS HOME, BECOME A REFUGEE IN BEIRUT AND AN OBSERVER OF THE CITY’S BEWILDERING SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL CHANGE. THIS FIRST UK SOLO SHOW FEATURES A SELECTION OF HIS WORKS ON CANVAS THAT DOCUMENT THE IMPACT AND ICONOGRAPHY OF THE COUNTRY’S LONG CIVIL WAR, WHICH WAS ONCE CONSIDERED THE ‘SWITZERLAND OF THE ORIENT’.

IN BAALBAKI’S APOCALYPTIC WORLD OF DESTROYED BUILDINGS, SNIPERS AND CHECKPOINTS, FLOWERS ARE SCATTERED AMONGST THE RUINS – A SIGN THAT LIFE AND HOPE CAN TAKE ROOT IN THE MOST HOSTILE CIRCUMSTANCES.

16 OCTOBER – 12 NOVEMBER 2009 TUESDAY – SATURDAY 1-6 PM PRIVATE VIEW: FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER 6-8 PM MEET THE ARTIST: SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER 4-5 PM

ROSE ISSA PROJECTS 269 KENSINGTON HIGH STREET LONDON W8 6NA T: +44 (0)20 7602 7700 E: INFO@ROSEISSA.COM WWW.ROSEISSA.COM

‘ THE SNIPER’, 210 X 125 CM, MIXED MEDIA, 2009

‘CHECKPOINT’, 200 X 150 CM, ACRYLIC ON FABRIC, MOUNTED ON CANVAS