An iconic figure in the Lebanese cultural panorama from the 1960s to the 1980s, Aref El Rayess exemplifies the modern and uncompromising artistic path of a politically and socially involved artist who is more attentive to the political, social and cultural issues of his day than to the stylistic features of the modern canon. A precocious and largely self-taught talent, extremely gifted and rebellious, he was a brilliant and often caustic observer of his time, addressing issues such as identity, exile and the devastating consequences of the Lebanese civil war through painting as well as sculpture, engraving and tapestry.
