Hussein Madi , a painter, sculptor and engraver is considered among the Arab world’s foremost artists .He was born in 1938 in Chebaa, a border village in South Lebanon.
Between 1958 and 1962 he studied painting at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts, Beirut. In 1963, Madi left Lebanon to continue his studies in Rome in the Accademia di Belle Arti. Between 1972 and 1987 he taught painting at the National Art Institute of the Lebanese University. He was president of the Lebanese Artists association between 1982 and 1992.
Exhibitions
Madi has participated in numerous group and solo shows. These include the Biennales of Alexandria (1965, 1967), and Bagdad (1974), the Salons of the Sursock Museum, Beirut (1965, 1966, 1988); Galleria La Satdera, Sulmona, Italy (1971); the Association of Lebanese Painters, Beirut, (1965); Dar el Fan, Beirut (1968); Galleria II Poliedro, Rome (1968); Galleria Del Sole, Rome (1972); Ueno Museum, Tokyo (1972); Ministry of Tourism exhibition, Rome (1972); Galleria Cortina, Milan (1972) and the Association of Lebanese Painters and Sculptors, Beirut (1983). He also took part in the British International Print Biennale in Bradford, England (1984) and exhibited paintings and sculptures in Gallery Platform, Beirut (1988). Galleria Magna Graecia, Taranto, Italy (1970); Galleria d’Arte Cavour, Milan (1972); Galerie Samia Tutunji, Beirut (1977, 1978); Galleria Tri Falco, Rome (1973); Galerie Contact, Beirut (1973); Galerie Modulart, Beirut (1974) and Galleria Esagono, Lecce (1976). In 1979, he had an important retrospective exhibition at the Lebanese Ministry, Beirut, and in 1984 he exhibited at the Petra Bank Art Gallery in Amman; L’Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris (1989), British Museum, London (1990), Atassi Gallery, Damascus (1993),First International Biennale, Cairo (Prints)(1994) , Darat El-Founoun, Amman(1994), Green Art Gallery, Dubai(1995) Qatar Museum for Modern Art, Doha(1995) , 3rd International Biennale, Sao Paolo, Brazil (1996); Alice Moghabghab Gallery, Beirut (1995,1996,1997,1998) . Euro Art, “Special Liban”, Geneva (1999); Paintings, Sculptures, Drawings, Aida Cherfan Fine Art (2000, 2001, 2002); Venice Biennale (2003), Italian Embassy in Lebanon (2004), Paintings and Signature of the Book: “The Art of Madi” (May 2004);, Graphic Art Exhibition at Aida Cherfan Fine Art (2005), Paintings(2006) ArtSpace Gallery, Dubai and at Aida Cherfan Fine Art, Beirut . Paintings: Omaggio alla Donna Aida Cherfan (2008), University of Balamand Fine Art, Beirut, Lebanon (2008), Sculptures at Aida Cherfan Fine Art(2009).
Prizes
Hussein Madi has won several prizes: 1965 Sursock Museum, Beirut (1st prize of painting) 1968 Sursock Museum, Beirut (1st prize of sculpture).The 8th Salon’s Prize for Sculpture offered by the Italian Cultural Centre in 1968.The First Prize for Engraving, Citta di Lecce, Italy (1974). In 2003 he was awarded the Ordine della Stella Solidarieta Italania with the grade of Cavaliere.
Madi’s work is found in various private collections and in the collection of the British Museum, the Chase Manhattan Bank in New York, and the Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha.
The Lebanese-American artist Helen el-Khal said in Madi’s book preface: First, Hussein Madi’s creative intention is to produce art based on what he intuitively perceives as the divine structured world of the universe. Second, he approaches his art with the curiosity and playfulness of a child , as well as with the knowledge and wisdom of experience. Third, he wants to paint the eternal unity and joy of life that is God’s legacy to us.
Publications
“Madi sculptures 1969-2009”,Antoine, By Joseph Tarrab
“The Art of Madi”, 2004 ,Al-Saqi Publisher
E. Benezit, Grund 1999, Volume 8, page 945