“Red Shoes, Blue Song” – Painting & collage on paper, 2004
Paris-based Lebanese Illustrator and artist Lamia Ziadé started her career at the age 18 when she moved to Paris to study in Graphic Arts in Atelier Met de Penninghen. She begun her career by designing fabrics for fashion houses of Jean-Paul Gaultier & Issey Myiake. She also worked with Vogue, San Pelligrino and a number of CD & film poster designs.
She participated in a number of exhibitions, one of them was under the title Hotel’s War in Galerie Tanit. The exhbition addressed the time back in 1975 where different militias (Al Kata’eb, Al Murabetoun, Al Feda’youn..etc) involved in the war took over several luxurious hotels in Beirut and used them as fortresses for weeks of dreadful fights. The exhibition explores the way those militias integrated into the hotel forcefully and turned them into their own little habitats where they drink and eat from what’s in the hotel, while entertaining themselves in there.
Photograph from her exhibition “Hotel’s War” – 2008 (Click to Enlarge)
Ziadé’s style takes a very interesting pattern and style of her own; a style that can be identified as highly feminie and yet childish in nature (from the different usage of fabrics, character drawing and so). She is a fan of depicting women either engaging in masturbation or not; but in both cases they are usually with wide open legs open for the spectator’s sight. One only thing that most can agree about Ziadé, her fulfillmet of the titled “Pop artist”.
“Yellow & Gold” – Tissues, 2006
Ziadé both wrote and co-wrote a number of books. They are: “L’utilisation Maximum de la Douceur”, “Dix Doigs Pour Une Voix”, “Rayon Beauté”, “Souliax” and “Strip Tease”.
cover of one of her books “Rayon Beauté” – 1998
Links
October 4, 2008 at 10:57 pm
I have to say all of her work is disgusting and in bad taste. Shame on her for putting images of the mosque minaret (looks like the corner of the Ka’ba in Mecca) against sexualy explicity illustrations. I am sorry but this girl is indirectly implying something and it is both disgusting and offensive.
October 5, 2008 at 12:28 am
There is very little need for you to be sorry. You’re free to share your opinion as I am to share mine, you see if I was to say your thinking is both limited and narrow minded I can, just like you are able to express repugnance at mere images there for you to interpret. As such the shame you may see could perhaps be a reflection of your own ideologies and beliefs rather than that of the artists. If this work has inspired some emotion in you then I would say it has done it’s job.
October 5, 2008 at 7:29 am
Sharaf, there aren’t emotions involved – it has not stirred anything in me nor enlightened me with knowledge of any sort that is beneficial. I am an artist myself, so I can interpret this better than most.
If you look closely at some of her work, you will see her deliberate attempt to mix both religious connotations with sexualy explicit imagery. This implies her deliberate disregard for faith or religion, but the crux of the matter is that it is a direct visual diatribe against Islam.
If you think she hasn’t done this, then please observe the images again – it is not just a personal interpretation. At the least, can we not askthe question as to why, for example, place religious imagery with that of someting very un-religious? Most people would not find this controversial, if not outright disrespect for the faith in question.
Ask yourself – if you can accept indirect or direct visual insults against a your faith and be completely ok with it? Freedom of expression is one thing, but insults are something else.
The blog owner ‘Omar’ has to ask himself if the same question and think hard about what is acceptable ‘art’.
On the artistic side of things, I think her style is unique and creative, but on the subject matter, it may not be acceptable to a vast majority of people.
October 5, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I don’t see why you feel the need to compartmentalise art into acceptable or otherwise. Art is a form of expression, free from the restrictions society chooses to impose on our daily realities. If the artist intended to mix religious imagery in the work against something more mortal in nature, then there is a message there she feels she wants to express. I do not begrudge her self expression, nor do I feel the need to tag her with any labels. If you do not find this acceptable then you are under no duress to continue looking at the works.
October 8, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Sharaf – I think Abdullah is trying to put it into perspective for ‘Muslims’. This I think he means that art of this nature could be regarded as offensive to Muslims and those who follow Islam. I think his concern lies in the fact that this blog is most likely hosted by a Muslim and it even baffles me as to why Muslims would promote that which contradicts their faith?
It isn’t about art, but about the sanctity and respect for ones faith. Nothing should be allowed to denegrate it, not even Art.
So I am with Mr Freedman on this one, I think your views/respect for Islam is clearly represented by this ladies artwork.
May Allah guide you and us on the straight path.
October 8, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Ahmadi,
I really believe at the end of the day it comes down to the own interpretation and perspective of the viewer on what he can grasp from the artwork. Why take it as an offence to the religion while it could carry a bigger message than just trying to slander a whole faith? I don’t want to delve into details about the way I see it, but I’ll simply say the mosque is put in the background showing from a window as part of a scenery of the place she’s in. It can be like a introspective view into the feminine identity in a Muslim country (whether she is a believer or not)
And secondly, why does it baffle you? Why the pre-assumption that this blog is hosted by a Muslim? Did you find any bit on the website that it mentions it would mainly feature “Islamic Art” – the blog is dedicated to Arabic Art (hence the name) regardless to what religion or belief of the artist or the viewer.
October 14, 2008 at 9:02 pm
To me it shows what goes on behind walls, in other words reality. There’s nothing wrong with it but because we dont think of it that way, the scene might seem odd.
December 19, 2008 at 9:13 am
j aime
beaucoup
l art
de
Lamia Ziade
un
tres beau style
February 16, 2009 at 6:55 am
[...] Red Shoes, Blue Song. Painting and collage, 2004. Via Fann3arabi, brilliant Paris-based artist Lamia Ziadé. Below, Hotel’s Wars, [...]