In August 2020, an enormous explosion at Beirut’s port rocked the city.
Read on for My Modern Met’s exclusive interview.
What drove you to begin creating these sculptures?
So I quit my job around 2016 or 2017.
I started painting, and I sold a few paintings in several countries.
And the best way for me to express is through art.
And people had put the broken tents under the Fist of the Revolution.
I did not want them to break us.
And I wanted to fight back through art.
And I hadn’t done any sculpture ever in my life before.
I did not know how to do it, but I so wanted to do it.
What are you going to do?
We built the Phoenix together and it became a huge symbol of the Revolution.
But a few days ago, those pro-government people broke and burnt the Phoenix.
They broke its wings and stole the head of the Phoenix, which broke my heart, actually.
That was the first sculpture I’ve ever done.
How did you go about gathering the material to create the port sculpture?
The explosion happened and I stopped everything.
And that’s what I did at the beginning.
So I asked for volunteers on my Instagram.
Can you describe some of the items that went into making her?
I had started a sculpture of a woman before the explosion.
I did not know why I was doing it.
Sometimes I don’t know why I do projects.
And then, after I do them, I discover why I’m doing them.
And, you know, Beirut has been destroyed so many times.
And to so many people, Beirut is a woman, and she’s a beautiful woman.
So I started creating the sculpture made out of the rubble.
There was a thin line between making her look beautiful because Beirut is beautiful.
Beirut is so beautiful, that everyone wants a piece of Beirut.
It’s all upcycled.
There are also broken mirrors that reflect the light.
Can you describe the sculpture in your own words and your thought process in the composition?
I kept one hand down.
She’s too tired, this hand is too tired to even be lifted.
And her legs are just standing still as if she doesn’t want to move.
The hair looks as if it’s still flowing in the air.
So I wanted her hair to feel as if the explosion is still happening.
I included it in the sculpture because so many of us feel like we cannot move on.
And this part expresses the pain that we are going through and the trauma that we are going through.
Also the leg on the left.
And this is what I wanted to show.
We want to rise, but we are in pain.
But unfortunately, while moving the statue to the port, the mirror in her hand broke.
She was lighting the torch of the Revolution.
When I removed the torch, her hand was empty.
The next day, because of the wind, the flag flew away.
So she was left with the wooden stick and looks like she is carrying a sword.
I love that it’s interactive.
What was the reaction of people to the artwork?
It was very emotional for them.
Because the Phoenix was burned, you’ve decided to move this sculpture to protect it.
Can you talk a bit about that?
A few days ago, some people came and burned and broke the Phoenix.
So I had to remove her from the port.
But my plan, and what people actually want, is to create a replica of hera huge one.
This one is a little less than three meters tall.
What do you hope that people in Lebanon and beyond take away from your work?
But during this Revolution, it actually changed my life.
So when I started, many people questioned me.
Some peoplevery fewwere like, oh, it means nothing.
You know, it’s just art.
How is it going to make a change?
They were like, okay, you were right about doing the sculpture.
And these same people, they called me and told me they were wrong.
It’s the only thing that stays, that is still shouting revolution.
We are ready, whenever you want.
They are the ones who take pictures.
These are the people who never knew anything about art or industry.
Now, through art, they were touched.
