Marking the centenary of his birth, Paul Guiragossian. 100 Years of Art traces the life and work of Paul Guiragossian (1926–1993), one of the most important figures of modern Lebanese and Arab art. Developed in collaboration with the Paul Guiragossian Foundation, the exhibition brings together works drawn primarily from the artist’s estate. Structured as a chronological journey, it follows his artistic evolution from his early years in an Armenian family shaped by displacement and migration, including the 1948 relocation from Jaffa to Lebanon, through to his recognition as one of the most important painters to emerge from the region in the twentieth century.
From the figurative portraiture of his early years to the elongated silhouettes of his final decade, the works on view show the evolution of his artistic language, built on his conviction that the human figure, however abstracted, “will remain beautiful.” Early self-portraits and portraits of his mother open the exhibition, while paintings of his wife Juliette and daughter Manuella reflect his focus on his own family as a recurring subject. The exhibition closes with works from the final years of his life.
Alongside his paintings, archival photographs and personal documents, many rarely seen, offer a more intimate portrait of the artist. Particular attention is given to the three women who profoundly influenced his personal and artistic path: his mother Rahel, whose experience of displacement informed his lifelong search for belonging; his wife Juliette, his muse and steadfast companion; and his daughter Manuella, who continues to preserve and share his legacy today. Through his singular commitment to the human figure, Guiragossian transformed personal experience into something universal that continues to resonate across cultures and generations.
