An Article by J.A. (604 words, 3 min read)
In the heart of Lebanon’s southern landscape, where beauty and destruction have long coexisted, artists have once again proven that creativity is not just about producing art. It is rather about survival, resistance, and rebuilding. The recent war in the south left many artists displaced, their homes and studios reduced to rubble, their works lost forever. And yet, in the face of such devastation, their resilience shone brighter than ever.
Endurance Despite the Odds
One of the most striking examples of this endurance is the story of artist Nour Ballouk and her beautiful art gallery, a space that once stood as a sanctuary for artistic expression. When the war shattered its glass and forced her to empty the space, she did not hesitate: her priority was not the loss itself, but protecting the works, ensuring that theft or further damage would not claim what the war had already threatened. In the chaos, it became clear that art was not just an object but a testament to survival, and protecting it was an act of defiance.
Some of the artists she represents: Darwiche Chamaa, Mazen Rifai, Issa Halloum, Aida Halloum, Maroun El Hakim, Hassan Jouni, Fatat Bahmad, Hala Halawini, Hoda Baalbaki, Hussein Hussein, Youssef Ghazawi, Sanaa Hallal, Mohamad Rakouie, Adnan Al Masri, Abbas Makki, Suzanne Chakaroun, Youssef Nehme, were among those who lost their homes, their family’s homes, their studios, their materials. But what they never lost was their spirit. Rather than dwell on destruction, they leaned on each other, prioritizing health and sanity over possessions. Art, for them, is not about ownership; it is about legacy, about a shared vision of resilience that transcends physical loss.
Among those deeply affected was David Daoud, who lost a significant part of his paintings stored in Lebanon. Darwiche Chamaa, too, saw years of work erased in moments. And yet, their response was not despair but determination – a refusal to let war dictate the fate of their artistic journey.
Beyond individual artists, Lebanon’s artistic community has always thrived on gathering spaces, places where creativity and dialogue meet. One such place is Dar Zefta, the breathtaking guest house owned by Bahjat Darwiche and his family in Zefta, a long-time patron and friend of artists. With its historic walls and enchanting gardens, it hosted remarkable cultural events like La Route des Arts, celebrating the intersection of tradition and contemporary expression. War took a heavy toll on this sanctuary, destroying parts of the home and leaving its beauty scarred. But Bahjat Darwiche, like the artists he supported, did not surrender: he rebuilt, as he always had, knowing that art and culture are not so easily erased.
What unites these stories is not just loss, but defiance. In Lebanon, art has never been a luxury; it is a necessity, a way of marking existence in a region where history is written in ruins. These artists did not simply endure war, they stood in its face and continued to create. Their resilience was not just about rebuilding studios, homes and galleries, but about protecting an identity that war has tried, time and again, to erase.
Today, as they pick up the pieces – both literal and metaphorical – they remind the world that art is not about what is lost, but about what endures.
Disclaimer: Although we could have shown pictures of the damaged and affected Ballouk gallery or Dar Zefta, we chose not to, so that we keep the positive image of these locations and because we are sure they will be back and more glorious than they once were.
