Artbooth Gallery to host nonagenarian artist Habuba Farah’s works in capital

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Artbooth Gallery, Abu Dhabi, has announced Beams of Light, a solo exhibition showcasing the works of esteemed Lebanese-Brazilian artist, Habuba Farah (Apr. 9 - May 25). The show delves into the artist’s exploration of colour, geometry and movement, and traces her artistic evolution for over more than seven decades. Born in 1931 in Getulina, São Paulo, Brazil, to Lebanese immigrant parents, Habuba developed a passion for art quite early. The mix of textures, shapes and colours she encountered in her family shop, was a constant source of inspiration.

“I started drawing before I even learned to read and write,” Habuba recalls. “As a child, I created abstract geometric designs spontaneously, without knowing about artistic movements.” Initially pursuing a career as a geography teacher, her dedication to art led her to study under prominent artists Samson Flexor and Mário Zanini, in the 1950s. Such formative experiences energised her commitment to abstract art, particularly in her style known as “Lyrical Geometric Abstraction”, where she masterfully began blending rhythm and harmony, transforming form and colour, into dynamic expressions of light and space. Lyrical Geometric Abstraction draws a parallel between the artist’s visual language and a sonic universe.

Habuba Farah's work in oil on canvas.

The Artbooth exhibition features a curated selection of Habuba’s works from the 1970s to the present, encompassing mediums such as oil on canvas, gouache on paper, and intricate pencil drawings. A highlight of the exhibition is her exploration of ‘neutral gray’ or coloured gray — a concept achieved by blending primary colours with their complementary counterparts. The process results in geometric compositions that often resemble beams of light, inviting viewers to experience the subtle interplay of tones and contrasts.

Despite facing health challenges, Habuba remains deeply devoted to her practice. “For me, art is life! At 94 years, I still work every day. My body may be fragile, but my mind is a whirlwind. I continue to create and reinvent myself, using collages and drawings as new ways to express my vision,” she says. Having the opportunity to present her work to the Arab community for the first time in a solo exhibition holds profound personal significance for her. “This exhibition is a reconnection with my roots, and a tribute to the culture of my parents, which shaped me and my siblings. Although I cannot travel to Abu Dhabi, I am honoured to share my work with its community,” she says. In her illustrious career, Habuba has participated in numerous exhibitions in Brazil and internationally. Her works have been showcased at prestigious institutions like the Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (MASP) and are part of renowned collections, including the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Barjeel Art Foundation. Her artistic journey has been enriched by collaborations and correspondences with notable figures like Hungarian-French artist Victor Vasarely (1906-1997), which reflect a continuous exchange of ideas and artistic dialogue. They found points of rapprochement between their works, despite the obvious chromatic differences.

At over 90 years old, Habuba Farah remains an active and influential figure in contemporary abstraction. Her recent exhibitions, including a solo show at Gomide & Co. gallery in São Paulo (2024), have won critical acclaim, highlighting her enduring relevance and can-do spirit. The Gomide & Co. show was her first solo exhibition in over three decades. The occasion also marked the launch of her first monograph, published in partnership with Galeria MaPa. Divided into chapters titled Gouaches, Paintings, Cutouts, and Pastels, the book features texts by Sooud Al-Qassemi, Fernanda Lopes and Marcos Moraes, and concludes with a chronology with editorial coordination by Livia Debbane and graphic design by Luciana Facchini.

Lebanese-Brazilian artist Habuba Farah.

Beams of Light offers audiences an opportunity to engage with Habuba’s artistic vision and the balance she achieves between movement and stillness, light and shadow, order and fluidity. At the age of twelve, she had already revealed her artistic inclinations in painting classes in the neighbouring city of Lins. Daughter of Lebanese parents, it was in the 1950s, when she visited Sao Paulo regularly to study painting, that she found the formal vocabulary through which she presented abstract and geometric creations. In 1958, based on the colour theories of Frenchman Michel Eugène Chevreul (1786-1889) who obtained innumerable nuances by mixing primary colours to obtain secondary colours, lightening them with white and darkening them with black, she started her own research. She was able to obtain subtle gradations of tones and semitones, from brightness to darkness and from cold to warm.

Through her pioneering work, Habuba has made a significant contribution to the history of Brazilian art, though she is ever mindful of her roots. “I identify as a woman and artist of Arab descent,” she once said, reflecting on how her artistic practice embodies both her Brazilian upbringing and Arab heritage. Her career has seen her participate in numerous art salons across Brazil, France, Italy, the United States, and Japan. Her work was showcased for the first time within the context of the Arab world at Kawkaba: Highlights from the Barjeel Art Foundation, an exhibition held at Christie’s London in 2023.

Founded by Roger El Khoury in 2019, Artbooth Gallery is dedicated to fostering cross-cultural artistic dialogue through a programme of exhibitions. With locations in Abu Dhabi and Seoul, it is a platform for both emerging and established artists from around the world.