An Article by C.J. (713 words, 4 min. read)
Mark Hachem Gallery in Beirut opens its doors to a deeply moving exhibition, Coming Home, by Lebanese artist Ali Al Husseini. Curated by Dr. Tony Karam, the exhibition runs from September 9 to 20, 2025, and presents a journey where art and memory embrace each other.
This body of work is about the return of an artist to his roots, his family, his land, and above all, to himself. Born in Lebanon in 1971, Al Husseini experienced the pain of displacement when war forced his family to leave their home in the south. Even as he sought safety far from the bombs, his heart and imagination remained in the village he had left behind. Throughout the years spent abroad, especially during his long career in Kuwait, he carried within him an unshakable dream of return.
Painting the Village of Memory
In Kuwait, while balancing his work in telecommunications, Al Husseini studied at the Kuwait Society of Fine Arts and honed his artistic language. It was there, away from the land of his birth, that he began to paint Lebanon as he remembered it: the village paths, the houses, the bustling life of the community. His canvases became windows into the home he longed for, painted not from sight but from memory and love.
Every stroke tells the story of absence transformed into presence. His paintings are semi-abstract yet anchored in vivid sceneries that reflect the warmth of belonging. They are not mere depictions of places but living diaries of nostalgia, joy, and resilience.
The Miracle of Color
Perhaps the most astonishing truth about Al Husseini’s work is that he is colorblind. And yet, his paintings radiate with the brightest of yellows, the fiercest of reds, and the deepest of blues. They sing. They pulse with contrasts and harmonies so alive that the viewer forgets any limitation ever existed.
What he cannot discern with the eye, he translates with the heart. His palette is instinct, intuition, and emotion, turning what seems impossible into beauty. His paintings are proof that art is not bound by perception but by spirit.
In this paradox, we find the essence of his gift: an artist who cannot fully distinguish colors creates works that breathe with unmatched chromatic harmony. His art becomes an affirmation of possibility and vision beyond physical boundaries.
A Technique Full of Life
Al Husseini’s technique mirrors the complexity of his journey. He experiments with acrylic and oil paint, enriches his surfaces with oil pastels, and even incorporates wax to give depth and texture to his compositions. This layering of media results in works that feel alive, spontaneous yet structured, chaotic yet harmonious.
The semi-abstract style invites the eye to wander: figures emerge, houses unfold, landscapes breathe, and rhythms of daily life dance across the canvas. Each piece radiates positive energy, a celebration of life and community, and above all, a testimony of resilience and return.
A Curator’s Vision and a Historic Collaboration
Coming Home also represents a milestone for the Mark Hachem Gallery. For the first time in its history, the gallery has welcomed the vision of an external curator. Dr. Tony Karam, who discovered Al Husseini’s work after the artist had already achieved recognition in Kuwait, recognized the depth and originality of his practice and encouraged him to expose his art to Beirut.
This collaboration between gallery owner Mark Hachem and curator Dr. Tony Karam symbolizes the union of vision and passion. Together, they present not only an exhibition but the beginning of a partnership dedicated to bringing new voices and profound stories into the heart of Beirut’s art scene.
A Celebration of Belonging
Coming Home is not only about art. It is about return, about the dream of a child who grew up in the shadow of war, who carried his village in his heart across decades and distances, and who finally places it on canvas for all to see.
Every painting is a prayer of gratitude. Every color is a heartbeat of belonging. Every composition is a door opening toward the past and the future at once.
Ali Al Husseini has come home, and through his paintings, he invites us all to walk beside him, to feel the warmth of his village, and to believe that even in exile, the soul always remembers the way back.
