Elias Dib

1945 – 2021, Beirut

Elias Dib graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts at the Lebanese University and later pursued his studies at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. He held an undergraduate degree in teaching plastic arts, a master's degree in visual arts, a D.E.A. in plastic arts, and a Doctorate in Sciences of Art, all from Paris I University, Panthéon-Sorbonne.

He served as a teacher at the Institute of Fine Arts, Lebanese University, and authored several pedagogical books. Additionally, he published numerous articles on art for various newspapers. Dib's significant individual exhibitions have taken place in Beirut, Paris, and Geneva, and he has participated in more than twenty group exhibitions in Lebanon and France.

About his Work

Elias Dib's artistic practice revolved around working with materials to explore the immaterial. He utilized substances as catalysts for ideas, aiming to engage the intellect rather than solely appealing to visual sensibilities. His installations were depersonalized and anti-formal, focusing less on aesthetics and more on demanding active participation from the viewer to interpret and understand the artwork.

Driven by his fascination with abstract concepts, Dib fostered a constant dialogue between form and idea. His creations encompassed vast poetic spaces that invited contemplation and transported viewers far beyond the realm of mundane material concerns. He constructed an abstract world infused with universal spirituality.

While Dib's work did not strongly incorporate regionalist elements, he navigated between the influences of the East and West. During his time in Lebanon, he moved away from traditional forms, such as silhouettes of women and Arabic writings, and embraced new arabesques, introducing a fresh perspective to his art.

Elias Dib

Untitled, 2012

Mixed Media, 215 x 200 x 80 cm

Loan from the artist’s estate