Abu Dhabi Art Foundation celebrates Lebanese heritage with Paul Guiragossian centenary exhibition

Abu Dhabi: The Bassam Freiha Art Foundation (BFAF) in Abu Dhabi has opened a new season of exhibitions on Lebanese art, with a retrospective marking 100 years since the birth of painter Paul Guiragossian at its centre.

The season, titled From a Shared Ground, opened on 17 October at the foundation in the Saadiyat Cultural District.

It comprises three exhibitions featuring five artists and deals with themes such as homeland, displacement, memory and belonging.

Works from the artist’s estate

The largest exhibition, Paul Guiragossian: 100 Years of Art, shows paintings and archival material from the artist’s estate. Guiragossian (1926-1993) is widely regarded as one of the most significant artists to emerge from Lebanon and the wider Middle East in the 20th century. According to the foundation, his work was shaped by experiences of migration, family and the human condition.

The foundation says most of the works are leaving Lebanon for the first time. They include a self-portrait and a portrait of his mother Rahel, both from 1948, and L’Etreinte from 1973, which shows his daughter running into her mother’s arms. The exhibition ends with an unfinished self-portrait from the last months of his life.

The exhibition was developed with the Paul Guiragossian Foundation and is co-curated by the artist’s daughter, Manuella Guiragossian, and BFAF’s Head Curator, Dr Michaela Watrelot.

“This centenary exhibition brings art-historical scholarship into dialogue with a deeply personal perspective,” Dr Watrelot said.

Two further exhibitions

In Roots Before Petals, UAE-based artist Lana Khayat is shown alongside the Lebanese modernists Etel Adnan and Helen Khal.

The exhibition looks at how three generations of women artists have related to Lebanon through paintings of flowers, landscapes and nature.

Khayat’s new works include three-dimensional flowers that turn part of the gallery into a space visitors can walk into.

Contrast to Orientalist collection

BFAF was founded by the collector and philanthropist Bassam Said Freiha and opened in March 2024. The foundation describes itself as the first and only private art foundation in the Saadiyat Cultural District.

The foundation’s permanent collection is Orientalist, reflecting historical Western views of the region. By contrast, the new exhibitions show artists with roots in the region, which the foundation says is meant to prompt visitors to consider how cultural identity is represented.

The non-profit foundation also runs educational activities. According to BFAF, more than 2,000 people have taken part in free workshops and lectures since it opened, and a partnership with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Education and Knowledge has reached more than 170 students. It also funds a scholarship for the Emirati artist Noor Al Suwaidi’s master’s studies.

From a Shared Ground runs until 17 January 2027. It opens ahead of the first Frieze Abu Dhabi art fair, which is scheduled to begin on 20 November 2026.