Charles Khoury

B. 1966, Beirut

Charles Khoury holds a degree in lithography from the Académie Libanaise Des Beaux-Arts (ALBA). He is an esteemed member of the Salon d'Automne at the Sursock Museum in Beirut, the Lebanese Artists Association, and UNESCO's International Association of Art in Paris. Since 1993, he has been a professor of plastic arts at Saint Joseph College in Aintoura.

Khoury's artwork has been widely exhibited in both solo and group exhibitions, as well as art fairs in Beirut and abroad. In recognition of his talent, the Sursock Museum awarded him the Special Jury Award in 2008, and he also had the opportunity to participate in a Lithography artist residency in Morocco in 2013.

Having lived through the tumultuous period of the Lebanese war, Khoury experienced profound anger that he managed to channel through his artistic expression. He perceives the world as a corrupt and modern jungle, and through his art, he has created a personal realm where he can escape from this harsh reality.

About his Work

Charles Khoury embraces a whimsical and uninhibited approach reminiscent of a prodigious child. From the moment he began exhibiting, he has adorned his canvases with primitive depictions of animals sourced from the depths of his imaginative playroom. His art harmonizes intertwined primal shapes with vibrant colors.

Influenced by the impact of war, Khoury's artwork encapsulates nature and its diverse elements: human beings, animals, and plants. His works convey the perpetual unease that haunts individuals, particularly when they confront their destinies. These themes find expression through vivid, warm colors that can sometimes evoke an aggressive energy.

Khoury aspires to reconcile humanity with the animal realm within his artistic kingdom. His art represents a contemporary reinterpretation of Plato's "allegory of the cave," where objects imitate reality rather than embodying it. He stands as a unique and individual artist, distinguished by his idiosyncratic and rebellious nature. His marvelous paintings and polychrome wooden sculptures further contribute to his distinctive oeuvre.

Sabine Karam

Nour Kuri