An Article by D. M. (810 words, 4 min. read)
A Triumphant Return to Beirut’s Art Scene
Sundus Al Khalidi makes a powerful return to Beirut with Boundless Vision, an exhibition that immerses the viewer in her deeply expressive abstract works. Curated by Dr. Tony Karam, this showcase at Rebirth Beirut (April 3–12) highlights her mastery of mixed media and vibrant color palettes, delivering a collection that is both emotionally raw and visually striking. After exhibiting at the prestigious Opera Gallery, Al Khalidi reaffirms her presence with a series of works that transcend the physicality of paint, embracing movement, texture, and layered emotions.
A Journey of Emotions and Colors
Al Khalidi’s paintings are not merely visual experiences; they are emotional landscapes. Each stroke and hue carries an intensity that mirrors the complexity of human feelings: bold, unfiltered, and deeply personal. Her approach to abstraction is not about detachment but about a complete surrender to expression. In some paintings, sweeping brushstrokes evoke an almost explosive energy, while in others, color melts softly into space, creating a sense of contemplation. The transitions between these two extremes—between chaos and serenity—give her work a pulse, a life of its own.
Her choice of colors plays a central role in this emotional dialogue. Vibrant colors exude passion and depth, while muted tones whisper of reflection and nostalgia. The juxtaposition of these elements suggests an internal dialogue, a push and pull between memory and imagination, between the past and the present. In this way, her work invites the viewer not just to look, but to feel.
A Style Rooted in Emotion and Experience
Al Khalidi’s paintings defy simple categorization. Her approach to abstraction is instinctive, allowing emotion to dictate form rather than adhering to rigid artistic structures. Bold, sweeping strokes of color dominate her canvases, each hue colliding and merging in a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. The intensity of her palette—ranging from fiery reds and deep blues or greens to earthy tones and delicate pastels—reflects the vast spectrum of human emotion.
Throughout the exhibition, she experiments with contrast, setting ethereal, soft backgrounds against bursts of intense, saturated color. In some works, deep purples, fiery oranges, and electric blues emerge from misty expanses, as if memories or emotions are materializing from within. Others contain structured yet fragmented forms, where lines and textures interweave, evoking a sense of movement, tension, or even internal conflict. Her ability to balance control and spontaneity makes each painting a visceral experience, drawing the viewer into a world of raw expression.
Her use of mixed media further enhances the depth of her compositions. Thick impastos, transparent washes, and textured layering create surfaces that are almost sculptural. Some paintings appear to be in constant motion, their brushstrokes vibrating with energy, while others seem to capture fleeting moments of introspection, frozen in time. This contrast between force and stillness is a hallmark of her style, revealing an artist who is unafraid to explore the dualities of existence: passion and calm, chaos and order, struggle and serenity.
The Many Stories in a Single Painting
Though non-representational, Al Khalidi’s paintings tell stories. They do not dictate a single narrative but instead invite the viewer to engage, interpret, and feel. Some works resemble dreamlike landscapes, where colors dissolve into one another like fading memories. Others evoke a sense of movement, as if capturing the momentum of a journey—both literal and metaphorical. The viewer is drawn into an exploration of past and present, of personal history and universal emotion.
Her paintings thrive on contrasts, between light and shadow, precision and spontaneity. Some pieces present a central form that seems to shift between abstraction and figuration, a blurred presence emerging from the paint. Elsewhere, bursts of color and sharp, unpredictable lines suggest an explosion of emotion, moments of intensity breaking through softer compositions. These elements reflect the depth of Al Khalidi’s artistic language, where nothing is static and every stroke carries meaning.
Her larger-scale pieces embrace the space, surrounding the viewer in an overwhelming visual experience. These monumental works seem almost infinite, their layers of color suggesting endless depth. In contrast, her smaller works offer moments of quiet reflection, where details emerge more delicately, encouraging a closer, more intimate engagement.
A Vision Without Borders
With Boundless Vision, Sundus Al Khalidi reaffirms her artistic philosophy: that true expression knows no limits. Her work is a testament to the power of abstraction as a language of emotion, where every stroke and texture conveys something beyond words. Through this exhibition, she invites us to experience her world; one where color and form transcend boundaries, where emotions spill freely onto the canvas, and where art becomes an extension of life itself.
Her return to Beirut is more than just a homecoming; it is a declaration that her artistic journey continues to evolve, unrestricted, boundless in its vision.
