On Nadia Saikali: Between Aesthetics, Science, & Spirituality

Introduction

Lebanon was a young nation in 1936, when on December 8 of that year, Nadia Saikali was born in Beirut. The city was a budding metropolis richly laced with citrus trees, dotted with red-tiled stone homes of arabesque Ottoman buildings, and outlined by a turquoise Mediterranean Sea. Saikali was born into a Franco-Lebanese family that highly valued art and culture. In a record of her interviews with Lebanese-American artist and art critic Helen Khal, Saikali recalls, “There was so much that my parents encouraged us to do, and very early I became interested in many different forms of expression — in drawing, painting, ceramics; in music, dance, theatre. For the first eighteen years of my life, I didn’t know which to choose, which to concentrate on.”¹ 

Saikali’s formative years were set against a generative backdrop of diverse sociocultural identities and a thriving artistic community. This period coincided with the French Mandate in Lebanon (1920-1943) and its subsequent reverberation. She witnessed the developing contemporary art scene that was burgeoning in Beirut during her teenage years. While social and parental influences played a significant role in shaping Nadia’s genesis as an artist, her distinct style is a testament to the innate talent of a true creator. She was a multi-disciplinary and versatile artist whose devotion to exploring various artistic forms, including kinetics and Japanese haiku, characterized both her art as well as her artistic temperament. She was a constant learner, some would say a pundit, applying the same level of dedication to each of her new quests, both artistic and non-artistic. In her mid-30s, for instance, she became passionate about Zen Buddhism. A fascination with nature, geography, geology, astrophysics, and philosophy enriched her artistic endeavors that fused spirituality, aesthetics, and science, or to use Habermas’s lexicon, “the True, the Good, and the Beautiful.”²

Foundations

Nadia Saikali enrolled at the Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts (ALBA) in 1953, where she pursued studies in both music and painting, while simultaneously taking ballet lessons at a separate institution. She favored ballet as a career path, but her parents, despite their broad-mindedness, expressed their disapproval of it as a suitable choice for “a girl of [her] background,” and the notion of endless hours seated at a piano seemed daunting for someone brimming with physical energy. Consequently, Saikali focused on painting.³ 

By the age of 20, she married a Welsh geophysical engineer residing in Beirut. On balancing her life as a wife, mother, and working artist, Saikali admits, “In our society, the woman is still too bound by tradition and feels guilty if she doesn’t fulfill her duties as a conventional wife and mother […] I still felt torn between the two obligations of home and art, especially after the children arrived.”⁴ At that time in particular in Lebanon, the demands of marriage and its conventional responsibilities led to sporadic artistic production amongst women artists.⁵ It was relatively easy to exhibit in Lebanon as Beirut had become the artistic center of the Middle East, and provided many avenues in its numerous galleries, cultural centers, educational institutions, entertainment venues, and corporate establishments.⁶ After she graduated in 1956, she participated in an exhibition at the UNESCO Palace in Beirut in 1957,⁷ followed by one in 1959 at the Beirut French Cultural Institute.⁸ 

In 1956, Nadia embarked on a year-long journey to Paris to pursue advanced studies at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs.⁹ During this time, she had the opportunity to work in the studios of engraver and painter Henri Goetz, as well as art brut sculptor Michel Durand. La Grande Chaumière attracted world-famous artists like Joan Miro, Amedeo Modigliani, Fernand Leger, and Louise Bourgeois, and is known for its free learning multi-disciplinary approach and mentorship by practicing artists.¹⁰ As a result, Saikali gained valuable experience in painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, and graphic design.¹¹ 

Upon her return to Beirut, she began teaching at the two leading universities for the arts in Lebanon, ALBA University and the newly established Institute of Fine Arts and Architecture at the Lebanese University (LU), and remained in both institutions until 1974.¹² During an interview with Lebanese artist Jamil Molaeb, a student of hers at LU from 1969 to 1972, he confirmed that her teaching style was influenced by the free learning approach she experienced in France. “She urged us to keep a distance between the brush and the artist, for fear of erasing the work,” Molaeb recalls. “This guidance stayed with me ever since for each artwork I created in my career.” Molaeb reflects on her innate affinity for intuitive painting, attributing it to her poetic spirit and profound spirituality. He goes on to emphasize her unwavering commitment as an educator, expressing how she imparted them with spiritual tools, as well as practical tools, that influenced their artistic journeys and continued to shape their careers.¹³ Other notable students of hers were Odile Mazloum, Hassan Jouni, and Chaouki Chamoun. Among her colleagues were prominent Lebanese modernists such as Shafic Abboud, Rafic Charaf, Halim Jurdak, Aref El Rayess, and Yvette Achkar.¹⁴ This era has elevated Lebanon’s modern history as the Golden Age for the arts and culture, a time that epitomized the joie de vivre and sense of sociocultural freedom that portrayed the country’s persona and muted the surfacing regional politics. 

The Art

In her early career, Saikali worked mainly with oil on canvas that was described by the French art historian and critic Gerard Xuriguera as mimicking the cubism of Paul Cezanne,¹⁵ marked by angular geometric shapes, made evident in works such as The Bulls and the Moon (1957)¹⁶ and Still Life (1956).¹⁷ Her oil on canvas entitled Le Couple¹⁸ marks her move towards semi-abstraction, a style that stayed with her until 1968,¹⁹ and is one of the only artworks signed “N Saikali Th.” The last two letters are the abbreviation of her husband’s last name Thomas, who she eventually divorced after nine years of marriage and two children. 

In 1964, Saikali received an invitation to showcase her talent in a solo exhibition featuring ten of her evolved abstract paintings in the style of Lever de lune (Moonrise) (1969)²⁰ at the prestigious Marcel Bernheim Gallery in Paris.²¹ Through an anecdotal magazine interview given by Saikali, we gain insight into her mindset during this phase of her life. She humorously recalls remaining penniless due to her refusal to utilize public transportation and eat from affordable sandwich shops, instead indulging in the luxuries of chauffeured transportation and dining at renowned establishments like Maxims.²²

Towards the end of the 60s, Saikali found herself in deep devotion to the Japanese Zen Buddhist philosophy. Embracing this minimalistic approach to her work, Saikali produced a series of paper collages on a pure white canvas layered with bamboo sticks to create protruding lines that would, in turn, form shadows and everchanging shapes depending on where the light was directed.²³ The Japanese haiku poem that inspired the series was, “Autumn of the full moon / All night I went / Around the lake.”²⁴ She used the same philosophy to her fully abstract paintings, applying a thin layer of paint and free undulated brushstrokes. In 1968, she won the Sursock Museum Prize for her painting titled Composition (1968),²⁵ which became part of the museum’s permanent collection, setting her at the helm of abstract expressionist artists. 

By 1971, Saikali’s reputation as a respected artist led to her appointment as a committee member in the newly established Lebanese National Committee for the Visual Arts.²⁶ She was joined by equally notable contemporary artists such as Jean Khalife, Elie Kanaan, Aref El Rayess, Rachid Wehbi, and Moazaz Rawda.²⁷ 

In 1972, she embarked on an exploration of the concept of color stripes with a series entitled Vertical Rhythm (1970-1972).²⁸ These abstract works demonstrated her true craftsmanship as a painter. Through careful layering, minimal brush strokes, selective color palettes, and varying line thicknesses, Saikali creates balanced and harmonious compositions that evoke a range of peaceful rhythms and emotions.²⁹ 

In 1974, Saikali received a grant from the Lebanese government and Lebanese University to further enhance her qualifications as an art teacher.³⁰ At the time, the university wanted to establish a new department dedicated to mural arts for the purpose of heritage conservation, in addition to a modern architecture and urban design department. Saikali enrolled at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (ENSAD) in Paris to study traditional mural art techniques under the guidance of muralists, painters, and architects Jacques Despierre and Clement Tambute.³¹ 

In line with her constant re-invention, Saikali took the opportunity of the four years she was enrolled in the program to immerse herself into her newly acquired techniques and went on to produce two stained glass windows for the nave of the Saint Michel Church in Chaillol, France³² that bears her signature.³³ This was completed in 1976, the same year she married the French interior architect, Henri Gaboriaud. In 1977, she executed a 30m² fresco on medieval walls in Verneuil-en-Bourbonnais, France.³⁴ 

The 90s marked the return of Saikali’s deep exploration of abstract painting, where she built up multiple layers of oil colors and texture using a technique known as wet-on-wet painting. This involves applying wet paint directly onto the previous layer while it is still wet, resulting in rich, complex surfaces. Her brushstrokes, along with the use of a palette knife, are often visible beneath and on top of the layers of paint, adding to the sense of depth, texture, movement, and harmony in her final compositions.³⁵ With the end of the Civil War in Lebanon, she participated actively in multiple solo shows between the city and mountains of her beloved country up until the mid-2000s. Whether solo or in group shows, she continued to actively showcase her spirit and maintain her status as a star abstract expressionist artist in the international and local scene until 2007. 

The Science

According to Saikali’s self-authored and edited book, she dates her first milestone to 1968, the year she was running an errand for her father, a dentist, at a distributor for medical supplies.³⁶ On that trip, she discovered the enchanting and ethereal appearance of fiberglass, sparking an irresistible desire within her to experiment with what she described to be a “magical” substance.³⁷ After researching and experimenting with this newfound medium, she also tested plastic fiber, but eventually opted to use plexiglass as it proved to be easier and safer to manipulate, and most suited to shape her latest creative impulse.³⁸ 

In 1970, she held a ground-breaking lumino-kinetic exhibition in Beirut.³⁹ This mesmerizing solo show hosted at the showroom of the prominent French language daily newspaper, L’Orient-Le Jour, showcased her pilot project with plexiglass.⁴⁰ Her simpler experiments on canvas can be seen in the background of one of the pictures taken in her studio featured in her biography.⁴¹ More complex creations were enhanced by an electric motor inducing light and a slow rotation, to cast transcendental kaleidoscopic patterns across pristine white canvases and walls.⁴² Found in the archives of the Sursock Museum, her artist statement describes the raison d’être of these works as a response to Beirut’s concrete jungle in the 70s and the negative impact of television devices, both regressing people’s natural sensory processing.⁴³ She introduces marveling optic effects through wall installations, like the series entitled Mediterranean,⁴⁴ to promote meditation and provide the healing effects of the sea or nature.⁴⁵ 

The show received mixed reviews. On one hand, Le Soir (L’Orient-Le Jour’s evening edition) depicted the impact of the show as a drastic schism between traditional and contemporary art, at the risk of rendering painting an extinct art form. The article challenged the notion of the artist working as a lone creator since it was evident that Saikali had to work with a network of electricians and artisans to bring her works to life.⁴⁶ On the other hand, Helen Khal remarked that it was pertinent to appreciate that Saikali had to delve into physics and chemistry textbooks, while actively seeking out skilled technicians to transmit an unprecedented artistic transmission in terms of both concept and means of production.⁴⁷ One can argue that Saikali introduced the concept of collaborative or social art that surpasses normative scales of individual production in Lebanon’s art consciousness. 

Her visionary concepts were later translated into functional furniture pieces such as coffee tables,⁴⁸ side tables,⁴⁹ and limited-edition sculptures.⁵⁰ This marked her noteworthy contribution to furniture design in Beirut. This era of her work marked the advent of kinetic art in the Middle East and quite possibly in the Arab World, positioning Saikali as a pioneer in her own right. In 1973, she was invited to showcase her designs at the Galerie Lacloche in Paris, an exhibition she was very proud of and that was heralded as a great success. Lebanese poet and artist Etel Adnan composed the preface for the exhibition catalog.⁵¹ 

The Spirituality

Amidst Lebanon’s Civil War, Saikali chose to stay in Paris after completing her studies. In 1979, she secured a studio space at the renowned Le Bateau-Lavoir in Montmartre, a historically esteemed residence and gathering place for influential artists. The studio held a special place in her heart, emanating a captivating aura. This personal decision led her to create a series inspired by photocopies of her palms.⁵² Now, well into her forties, this series represented a movement towards introspection, “Childhood, youth, maturity, and old age, each succeeding the other.”⁵³ 

That same year, at Smuggler’s Inn, a distinguished restaurant in Beirut, she showcased a collection of 29 distinctive monotypes inspired by this series.⁵⁴ Her artistic creations cantered around the reflections on Lebanon and her profound nostalgia for the country, capturing one of the most devastating chapters in its history. This show held great significance for journalist Marie-Therese Arbid, who covered the exhibition, symbolizing a glimmer of hope amidst the country’s darkest hours.⁵⁵ It exemplified the indomitable power of culture and art exhibitions to endure in Beirut, even during turmoil. 

From the 1980s on, Saikali completely immersed herself in the investigation of her being, her existence, and the earth’s magnetic power. Perception and color reigned supreme and were reflected in meditative oil on canvas pieces, like Mandala Bleu Nuit (1982),⁵⁶ and series works, such as Geordermie (1985)⁵⁷ and Empreinte Autoportrait, Ile Sanctuaire (1986).⁵⁸ Both themes and techniques were scrutinized to their fullest possibilities. In 1986, she beautifully described her self-portrait imprint series as each painting representing a fragment, a shore, or an island in her journey through the “archipelago of time.” It is through this process that her monumental diptychs and triptychs came to life, as she worked on them flat on the floor, leaving behind traces of her hands and feet.⁵⁹

Conclusion: A Renaissance Woman

Nadia Saikali challenged what it meant to be a woman and an artist in a nascent country that still clung to its social conventions as it negotiated the advent of modernity. She subverted established norms about what defines an artist and artistic creation, as she fearlessly explored new techniques, mediums, and modes of production, and boldly ventured into unchartered territory with her unsatiating impulse to examine truth through art, and art through truth. She pioneered the field of kinetics in the Arab World, being the first artist in the region to extensively work with this novel concept. Saikali synthesized and integrated multiple disciplines to express both the intimate and the universal through her art, generously sharing her rich perspectives with the public. 

Working with meticulous attention to detail, she deeply understands and appreciates the medium she works with and constantly seeks to explore it to its fullest potential. Communicating through abstract forms and vibrant colors, she reflects her intellectual and aesthetic sensibilities not only as a woman, but as a universal being. Her works successfully act as a bridge, connecting people to the complex and captivating aspects of existence. Belonging to over 20 notable private and public collections, collected over six decades, Nadia Saikali attests to the rankings of a pioneering modern artist of international recognition of the 20^th and early 21^st centuries. 

This essay is part of Written Portraits: Arab Women, Art, & History, a series that focuses on the lives and works of Arab female artists, authored by Arab female researchers in collaboration with the Barjeel Art Foundation.

To access the works cited & endnotes, download the full report.

The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the author and do not represent Fiker Institute.