Michel Basbous (1921–1981) was a Lebanese

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

and painter known for his contributions to

modernist sculpture Modern sculpture is generally considered to have begun with the work of Auguste Rodin, who is seen as the progenitor of modern sculpture. While Rodin did not set out to rebel against the past, he created a new way of building his works. He "dissol ...

in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

. Born in Rachana, a small village in

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, he integrated traditional influences into his modernist sculptures and played a role in developing Rachana as a cultural center. Basbous's work is characterized by a strong connection to natural forms and the use of various materials such as wood, marble, bronze, and recycled objects. His sculptures often emphasized verticality, a characteristic associated with the themes of

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...

and human aspiration. His approach integrated the natural environment, creating pieces designed to interact with their surroundings. Basbous stated that the natural veins in stone or wood frequently influenced his creative process.

Early life and education

Michel Basbous's early artistic interests were influenced by his father, a priest who also worked as a painter and calligrapher. During his childhood, Basbous experimented with shaping wood and stone, an early indication of his later focus on sculpture. Basbous began his formal art education at the Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts (ALBA) from 1945 to 1949. He later received a scholarship from the Lebanese government, allowing him to further develop his skills at the

Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts The (), formally the (), is a French ''grande école'' whose primary mission is to provide high-level fine arts education and training. The art school, which is part of the Paris Sciences et Lettres University, is located on two sites: Saint-G ...

(ENSBA) in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

from 1949 to 1951.

Career

In Paris, Basbous apprenticed under

Ossip Zadkine Ossip Alexeevich Zadkine (; 28 January 1888 – 25 November 1967) was a Russian and French artist of the School of Paris. He is best known as a sculptor, but also produced paintings and lithographs. Early years and education Zadkine was born o ...

from 1954 to 1955, where he was exposed to modernist principles while continuing to draw inspiration from traditional Lebanese forms. This experience influenced Basbous's artistic approach and reinforced his engagement with modernist sculptural principles. Upon returning to Lebanon in the late 1950s, Basbous became involved in the emerging Lebanese

modern art Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the tradit ...

movement. In 1957, he taught sculpture at the

American University of Beirut The American University of Beirut (AUB; ) is a private, non-sectarian, and independent university chartered in New York with its main campus in Beirut, Lebanon. AUB is governed by a private, autonomous board of trustees and offers programs le ...

for a short period before returning to Rachana, where he established an open-air studio. His efforts contributed to Rachana's transformation into what became known as the “Museum Village.” Alongside his brothers,

Alfred Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...

(1924–2006) and Joseph (1929–2001), he worked to develop the village as a hub for transdisciplinary art practices. Despite the instability caused by the

1958 Lebanon Crisis The 1958 Lebanon crisis was a political crisis in Lebanon caused by political and religious tensions in the country that included an American military intervention, which lasted for around three months until President Camille Chamoun, who had re ...

, Basbous remained committed to his art. He exhibited works locally in Beirut and internationally, including in Paris ( Musée d’Art Moderne and Musée Zadkine), Oxford (

Ashmolean Museum The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology () on Beaumont Street in Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University ...

), London (

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

) and Japan ( Hakone Open Air Museum and

Ueno Royal Museum The opened in Ueno Park, Taitō, Tokyo, Japan, in 1972. Owned by Fujisankei Communications Group and managed by the Japan Art Association, the museum focuses on contemporary art with exhibitions including the regular and , as well special exh ...

). His work is in the permanent collection of the

and the Barjeel Art Foundation.

Legacy

Michel Basbous passed away in 1981, leaving behind a legacy in Lebanese and Middle Eastern modern art. His work is featured in major art institutions and public spaces worldwide. Basbous's wife, Thérèse, and his son, Anachar Basbous, inherited his artistic heritage, with Anachar following in his father's footsteps to become a sculptor himself. Rachana remains a cultural destination, reflecting Basbous’s vision of integrating art into everyday life and the natural world.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Basbous, Michel Lebanese artists Lebanese sculptors 20th-century sculptors Modern sculptors Academic staff of the American University of Beirut