Written by
LUBNA RAGES
Nabil Kanso was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1940 to Melhem Kanso, a linen merchant, and Munira Saab. He was sixth of eight children, and was raised in west Beirut, yet lived most of his life in the United States. He grew up in a home that nurtured curiosity and the arts in various forms.
Kanso witnessed the civil war in Lebanon when he was just a teenager. The war had a profound impact on him, as once he was stopped by a soldier for holding a camera; he was told that a camera could be more dangerous than a gun. This experience prompted him to start drawing. After the civil war broke out in 1958, Kanso’s school was shut down, forcing him to resume his education abroad. In 1961, he made the decision to attend the London Polytechnic, in England, and study Mathematics and Science.1 Kanso also attended art classes and started teaching himself art-making. His time in London was instrumental, as it was when he was exposed to formal institutions of art. In fact, during his travels around Europe after graduation, he was introduced to the western canon of art. Kanso then realized he wanted to further immerse himself in the art scene, and so decided to pursue a university degree in the United States 2.
In 1966, he relocated to New York and enrolled at New York University. While there, he engaged in politics and art history, as well as attending the Art Students’ League. Kanso explained that “Art brought out more in me than anything else I’d ever experienced. I never dreamed I could go so deep into my soul.” After he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Art History, in 1970, he received a Master’s degree in Political Science, in 1971. A visit to Lebanon in 1976, during wartime, profoundly affected him, intertwining his personal experiences and political interests within his art. His art engaged with historical, political, social and even literary subjects. However, Kanso devoted his free time to painting, and began dedicating more time to his art after he had committed to establishing his first studio 3.
In 1967, Kanso set up the studio in New York. By 1968, he had devoted himself to painting and had moved to a larger studio, where he held a series of exhibitions. 4 Kanso displayed 80 paintings, including portraits and nudes, at his first solo exhibition at the 76 th Street Gallery, in 1971. The styles of these paintings varied in their degrees of expressionist, romantic, and symbolic influence 5 . His works received a critical amount of attention. As a matter of fact, the first director of the Museum of Modern Art, Alfred Barr, was one of the visitors of Kanso’s studio in 1972. 6
Kanso’s style was very much influenced by Picasso and Goya, but his work was informed by his experiences, culture, and vision. War was a recurrent theme in his work, as he was interested in revealing the absurdities and tragedies of war and conflict through painting. Nonetheless, his works were expressive, gestural, and most importantly, attempted to delve into the inner most feelings of such experiences. He began with addressing the subject matter in 1974.
The triptych Lebanon 1977: Vortices of Wrath, 1977, is an example of such attempts. The work is part of the Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation collection, and presents an apocalyptic feel. Its dark colors and large scale, was in response to the Lebanese civil war. This piece is part of the Split of Life series, which comprises of around 80 mural-size paintings executed between 1974 and 1994.
Another painting that echoed the atrocities of war is Vietnam, 1974, which was consequently in conversation with the Vietnam War. The horrific imageries of man as monster expressed in this painting was carried in horizontal form, adding to the sublime quality of the work. Moreover, Kanso held his solo exhibition Desert Storm: Invasion of Kuwait, in Kuwait City in 1992, after the end of the Gulf war. Alternatively, The Faust series, executed between 1976 and 1986, focuses on Goethe’s epic poem. The motifs and schematic compositions of the series primarily address the Faustian struggle of being and nothingness. 7 Kanso moved to the South of the U.S. in 1975, working in various studios in North and South Carolina, and later in Louisiana. There he was inspired to create his Jazz series, 1978-1979, on jazz music. 8
The artist’s method was to ensure his most sincere expression was transmitted. As such, he was never dependent on preparatory sketches, but painted directly onto his canvases. Kanso is known for his unique color palette of fiery reds, orange, yellow and dark brown, aggressive brushstrokes and large-scale paintings. American writer, Catherine Fox, describing her experience of his works at the Fantastic Visions group exhibit, at Nexus gallery in Atlanta, compared them to standing in the middle of flames of fire. The 12-foot-high paintings were loaded with gestures of violence and terror using hues of oranges, yellows, and reds throughout the canvas. 9
In 1980, Kanso settled in Atlanta, got married, and established a large studio. He continued to hold exhibitions in South America, Switzerland, Korea, and the Middle East. Kanso passed away in 2019 at the age of 79, in Atlanta, after a battle with cancer. 10
Nabil Kanso's art merged with his personal life, encapsulating his journey of growth and curiosity. Through his works, he prompts viewers to confront uncomfortable truths and engage with the complexities of existence. Kanso’s legacy endures as an invitation to delve into the human psyche and grasp the intricate connections between life and art, resonating with the eternal quest for meaning within the chaos.
Edited by Wafa Roz, Elsie Labban, & Daniel Kanso
Sources:
“Chronology.” NabilKanso.Org, www.nabilkanso.org/chronology. Accessed 15 Aug. 2023.
“Life and Art.” NabilKanso.Org, www.nabilkanso.org. Accessed 12 Aug. 2023.
“Nabil Kanso: A Journey of Art, War and Peace.” Art Breath, 14 Dec. 2019.
“Nabil Kanso: Faust Paintings”, (scanned document(Catherine Fox. (1984, July 8). Artist inspired by war-torn homeland. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, p. 153.
Catherine Fox. (1984, June 24). Opinions give ‘The Political Show’ potence. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, p. 189.
Catherine Fox. (1985, September 19). Artists turn up the heat with ‘Fantastic Visions’ at Nexus Gallery. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, p. 42.
Kathy Stephenson, (1984, September). The Art World of Nabil Kanso. Our World, pp. 36-37.
Lubna Rages, (2023, September 8). On the life of Nabil Kanso, Dalloul art foundation.
Maria Lacey. (1985, April 26). Violent scenes erupt from artist’s experiences. The Daily Journal, p. 23.
.سيد هويدي, "نبيل قانصو يعلن الحرب على الحرب", الوطن, 23 ابريل 1992, الكويت
1 “Chronology.” NabilKanso.Org, www.nabilkanso.org. Accessed 15 Aug. 2023.
2 Maria Lacey. (1985, April 26). Violent scenes erupt from artist’s experiences. The Daily Journal, p. 23.
3 Maria Lacey. (1985, April 26). Violent scenes erupt from artist’s experiences. The Daily Journal, p. 23.
4 Catherine Fox. (1984, July 8). Artist inspired by war-torn homeland. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, p. 153.
5 “Nabil Kanso: A Journey of Art, War and Peace.” Art Breath, 14 Dec. 2019.
6 Catherine Fox. (1984, July 8). Artist inspired by war-torn homeland. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, p. 153.
7 “Nabil Kanso: Faust Paintings”, (scanned document)
8 “Life and Art.” NabilKanso.Org, www.nabilkanso.org Accessed 12 Aug. 2023.
9 Catherine Fox. (1985, September 19). Artists turn up the heat with ‘Fantastic Visions’ at Nexus Gallery. Atlanta Journal Constitution, p. 42.
10 “Chronology.” NabilKanso.Org, www.nabilkanso.org. Accessed 15 Aug. 2023.
