Hussein Madi

B. 1938, Chebba

As Athena emerged fully armed from Zeus's forehead, Hussein Madi's works come to life fully formed, originating from his ingenious mind.

During Madi's time in grade school, his favorite book was the French dictionary, a lavishly illustrated Larousse. Within its pages, the simple yet descriptive line drawings of birds, animals, plants, and trees captivated his eye and awakened a latent talent. With a sketch pad discreetly tucked behind his book, he spent many class hours sketching dodo birds, antelopes, sparrows, and blue jays. Madi studied fine arts in Beirut. He worked for a short time in Baghdad as an illustrator. In 1963, he left Lebanon to continue his studies in Rome and continued to reside in Rome for twenty-two years. During those years, he made extended visits to Beirut, held exhibitions, and taught painting and sculpture. It was only in 1987 that he returned for good to Lebanon. From 1982 to 1992, he served as the president of the Lebanese Association of Painters and Sculptors. Madi dedicates his life completely to his art. His prolific life as an artist is visible in more than 60 solo exhibitions in Lebanon and abroad.

Madi's art is often likened to Picasso's, but there is a distinction: Picasso is a destroyer and fusionist of styles, while Madi's art embodies methodology, precision, craftsmanship, and discipline.

Thus, he finds that "fun" may be the most fitting definition of art, allowing it to rediscover its initial trance-like state and its inherent concept, rooted in reception and satisfaction.

About his Work

Couples embrace tenderly on benches; others gracefully take to the dance floor. Whether it's his handsome bulls passionately carrying their precious prey or his proud birds displaying their brilliant plumage, Hussein Madi's art consistently captivates viewers with its unwavering sense of humor.

Nature serves as Madi's primary source of inspiration. He meticulously crafts the entire body of a bird, from beak to wing to tail, using a single, continuous, unwelded metal sheet. Through intricate cutting and bending, he brings these forms to life with impeccable elegance and vibrant energy. This process requires innovative techniques, complex calculations, and meticulous design to fully realize his original vision.

His artistic subjects encompass women, birds, bulls, horses, trees, flowers, and fruits, which he portrays in vivid, strong colors through paintings or sculpts in clay, wood, or large metal sheets. Madi's signature style features fully rounded and sharp geometric forms, creating sculptures that exude volume. They possess a slightly surrealistic quality while remaining decidedly human and representational. In the essential geometry of his angles and curves, as well as the repetitive continuity of his images, Madi's work is deeply connected to the conceptual principles of Islamic art.

Guitta Melki

Ezzat Mezher