Michel Basbous

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Michel Basbous (b. 1921 – d. 1981), the eldest among an acclaimed trio of siblings, is widely regarded as a pioneer of Modern sculpture in the region. Born in Rachana, a small village in Lebanon's mountainous region, Basbous cultivated a deep connection with nature that influenced his expansive oeuvre. After completing his studies at L'Academie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts from 1945 to 1949, Basbous refined his skills at L'École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, courtesy of a scholarship from the Lebanese government. In 1957, he briefly taught sculpture at the American University of Beirut before returning to his hometown. There, he founded an outdoor/indoor exhibition in the Basbous family home, featuring stone sculptures and wooden carvings. Organising a festival in 1959-1960, Basbous championed art and theatre, hosting lectures and international symposia amidst an open-air exhibition, attended by notable figures such as Jack Lang, Hassan Fathi, and Adonis. Basbous experimented with various materials, from cement to resin, while also embracing classical media like stone, marble, wood, and bronze. In a region dominated by classical portraiture, Basbous distinguished himself through abstract sculptural expressions. Basbous' oeuvre reached Moscow and Leningrad (1957), the Internationale de Sculpture at the Musée Rodin (1961, 1966), Oxford (1971), and Tokyo (1973). His masterpieces grace prestigious institutions worldwide, including the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris, the Oxford Museum in the UK, the Hakone Open Air Museum in Japan, and Musée Zadkine in Paris. In 1974, he received the Prize of the Alexandria Biennale, solidifying his enduring impact on the global art scene.