Samir Sammoun (born August 10, 1952) is a Canadian–Lebanese artist and

telecommunications engineer Telecommunications engineering is a subfield of electronics engineering which seeks to design and devise systems of communication at a distance. The work ranges from basic circuit design to strategic mass developments. A telecommunication engin ...

. He lives in the city of

Brossard Brossard ( , , ) is a municipality in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada and is part of the Greater Montreal, Greater Montreal area. According to the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, Brossard's population was 91,525. It shares powers with ...

, Québec, since 1986. In 2017, the city of Brossard awarded him the Order of Merit for his contributions to culture and art at both the local and international levels .

Early life

Samir Sammoun was raised in

Joun Joun () is a Lebanese village sitting on seven hills in the Chouf () district of Mount Lebanon at a distance of 13 kilometers from the city of Sidon in Lebanon. Joun means "the corner" in Aramaic, and it is located in between Mount Lebanon and So ...

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 ...

on his family's 1,000-year-old olive plantation. His father, Fares Sammoun, was a broker at the

Port of Beirut The Port of Beirut () is the main port in Lebanon on the eastern part of the Saint George Bay on Beirut's northern Mediterranean coast, west of the Beirut River. It is one of the largest and busiest ports on the Eastern Mediterranean. On 4 Augu ...

, and an

olive grove Olive Grove was The Wednesday F.C.'s first permanent football ground, home to the club for just over a decade at the end of the 19th century. It was located on the site of what is now Sheffield City Council's Olive Grove Depot, near Queens Roa ...

farmer. His father Fares and mother Marie Bouchrouch, were married for 65 years until their deaths in 2008 and 2010. Born into one of Joun's notable families, Samir is the third child in a family of six children; five boys and one girl. In 1976, his brother Elias, (age 20), was killed in the

Lebanese civil war The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon. The religious diversity of the ...

. Samir Sammoun began painting in oils at the age of 13, while continuing his formal education. After completing studies at the Ecole des Arts et Metiers in

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

in 1969, he emigrated to

Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Canada in 1973 at the age of 21. There he obtained a Baccalauriat en Ingenierie (

Engineering degree An engineer's degree is an advanced academic degree in engineering which is conferred in Europe, some countries of Asia and Latin America, North Africa and a few institutions in the United States. The degree may require a thesis but always require ...

) in

Electronics Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other Electric charge, electrically charged particles. It is a subfield ...

in 1977, followed by a master's degree in

telecommunications Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communication technologies. These means of ...

from the Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal in 1978. After becoming a citizen of Canada in 1976, it was there he met and married Yvette Charron in 1980.

Work and careers

While pursuing a career as a

, and obtaining several patents for Cable TV transmission systems, Sammoun resumed painting oils on canvas, and simultaneously launched a second career as a professional artist. In 1988–92 Samir Sammoun obtained three patents for engineering inventions that would enable Cable providers to broadcast and receive high speed data over Cable Networks. From 1990–95 Sammoun served as Vice President of Videotron in Montreal, after which he founded his own company SHS Technology. SHS was a leading analyst in the technology that operates the Broadband over power line, which transmits internet signals to and from subscribers of electricity companies. While at Videotron he and his colleagues, as described in their 1990 patent, invented a "cable communication system comprising a bidirectional transmission network connected to the head end for transmitting signals downstream from the head end to a plurality of subscriber stations, and for transmitting data signals upstream to the Cable provider". Along with others, this system forms the basic technology for addressing data traveling over the internet. Wheatfield by Samir Sammoun 40x60 Original Oil on Canvas

Wheatfield by Samir Sammoun 40x60 Original Oil on Canvas

In 2003–2004 he was the featured artist in a televised segment on Mountain Lake PBS Television, Plattsburgh, New York. His work is cataloged in the

National Library of Canada Library and Archives Canada (LAC; ) is the federal institution tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is the 16th largest library in the world. T ...

. In 2003 Samir Sammoun was the invited guest of Emile J. Lahoud,

President of Lebanon The president of the Lebanese Republic () is the head of state of Lebanon. The president is elected by the parliament for a term of six years, which cannot be renewed immediately because they can only be renewed non-consecutively. By convention, ...

. His visit was featured in a segment on LBC-TV; and his painting Olive Grove was installed in the

Baabda Palace Baabda Palace (or Presidential Palace, , ), is the official residence of the President of Lebanon. The palace was built in 1956 on a hill in the mountain town of Baabda overlooking the Lebanese capital, Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital c ...

, Presidential Palace in

A solo exhibition of his paintings was held at the Gallery d 'Art at the Musee des Beaux-arts de Montreal from October–December 2005, attended by Quebec Premier

Jean Charest John James "Jean" Charest (; born June 24, 1958) is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as the 29th premier of Quebec from 2003 to 2012. Prior to that, he was a member of Parliament (MP) between 1984 and 1998. After holding se ...

and his wife Michelle Dionne. Prior to that, Samir Sammoun was given a retrospective at the Musee de Marc-Aurele Fortin in the old city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. NY State First Lady Michelle Paige Patterson with Samir Sammoun

NY State First Lady Michelle Paige Patterson with Samir Sammoun

In 2009 he exhibited at the Plattsburgh State University Art Museum, Plattsburgh, New York to create a series of 18 oil paintings commemorating the 400th Anniversary of the European discovery of

Lake Champlain Lake Champlain ( ; , ) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec. The cities of Burlington, Ve ...

. The paintings were exhibited there from May – July 2009, and featured in a live broadcast there on

Fox TV Fox Broadcasting Company, LLC (commonly known as Fox; stylized in all caps) is an American commercial broadcast television network serving as the flagship property of Fox Corporation and operated through Fox Entertainment. Fox is based at Fo ...

; after which two were exhibited for a year at the Governor's mansion in Albany, upon the request of the First Lady of New York,

Michelle Paige Paterson Michelle R. Paige Paterson (born April 1, 1961) is a healthcare professional who served as the first lady of New York state from 2008 until 2010. Biography Michelle Paige Paterson was born in Fairfield, California, and spent her early years in ...

. Paintings from this group were also entered into the Plattsburgh State University Art Museum, and the Samuel de Champlain Museum's permanent collections. Three of his paintings were acquired in 2011 by the

Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development The Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) is a Kuwait-based pan-Arab development finance institution. All member-states of the Arab League are members of the AFESD. As of 2003, it held around US$7.3 billion in assets. The AFESD ...

(AFESD) Museum of Kuwait, for their permanent collection. Other Museum credits include a Group Exhibition at the

McCord Museum The McCord Stewart Museum, formerly known as the McCord Museum of Canadian History, is a public research and teaching museum. The Museum’s Archives, Documentary Art, Dress, Fashion and Textiles, Indigenous Cultures, Material Culture and Photogr ...

in Montreal Feb–March 2002, a Guest Artist Exhibition at the Latino Art Museum in Pomona, California 2008 and a commission he painted in 1997 for the

St. Joseph's Oratory Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal (French: ''Oratoire Saint-Joseph-du-Mont-Royal'') is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and national shrine located at 3800 Queen Mary Road in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood on Mount Royal's Westmount Sum ...

, a National Historic Landmark in Montreal that receives 2.5 million visitors every year. Another painting was commissioned by Corporate Affairs International and donated to the

government of Quebec The Government of Quebec (, ) is the body responsible for the administration of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. The term is typically used to refer to the executive of the day (i.e. Minister of the Crown, mini ...

. It is now included in the permanent collection of the Quebec government offices in

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

Works

Sammoun works in a series of images from one palette. He works with oils on

jute Jute ( ) is a long, rough, shiny bast fibre that can be Spinning (textiles), spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from flowering plants in the genus ''Corchorus'', of the mallow family Malvaceae. The primary source of the fiber is ...

and

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...

canvas Canvas is an extremely durable Plain weave, plain-woven Cloth, fabric used for making sails, tents, Tent#Marquees and larger tents, marquees, backpacks, Shelter (building), shelters, as a Support (art), support for oil painting and for other ite ...

, applying a heavy

impasto Impasto is a technique used in painting, where paint is laid on an area of the surface thickly, usually thick enough that the brush or painting-knife strokes are visible. Paint can also be mixed right on the canvas. When dry, impasto provides tex ...

, created in fast emotional bursts of energy. The result is a spontaneous rendering of the subject, as if a flickering effect of light is coming through, reflected by the colors he places side by side and on top of one another on his canvas. Critics like Noel Meyer of ''MAGAZIN' ART'' have said, "Sammoun attempts to make his audience feel the wind blow through the trees, the heat in the air and the colours of the sky ..." Victor Forbes Editor of Fine Art Magazine, has said that "Sammoun's emotional investment in each work is evident in every canvas." Paintings by Sammoun were in a 2012 group exhibition "Viewpoint and Vistas". Apple Blossom by Samir Sammoun 24x30 Original on Canvas

Apple Blossom by Samir Sammoun 24x30 Original on Canvas

Personal life

With his siblings in

, he is today the owner of an olive grove near his birthplace in

that produces

extra virgin olive oil Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing whole olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea'', a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin) and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods, as a condiment, or ...

Samir Sammoun with his son Self Portrait

Samir Sammoun is active in several charitable organizations, including Sainte Justine Hospital of Montreal and the Medical Mission for Children in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. In 2012 Sammoun met with Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al Rahi, Patriarch of the

Maronite Catholic Church The Maronite Church (; ) is an Eastern Catholic '' sui iuris'' particular church in full communion with the pope and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. The head of the Maronit ...

, during his visit to Montreal; and presented him with an oil painting to be placed in the Bkerke, at the historic coastal city of Junieh, Lebanon.

Museum exhibitions

Walking with Giants by Samir Sammoun 40x60 Original Oil on Canvas

* Boston Museum of Fine Arts, "Give the Arts a Chance" project 2014, 2012, 2011 * Plattsburgh State University Art Museum, Plattsburgh, New York, 2009 * Latino Art Museum, Pomona, California, 2008 * Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Art Gallery, Quebec Nov–Dec 2005 * Retrospective at the Marc-Aurèle Fortin Museum, Montreal, November 2003 to January 2004 * McCord Museum, Montréal, Group Exhibition 2002 * Permanent collection of the Latino Art Museum, Pomona, California * Permanent collection of the Plattsburgh State University Art Museum, Plattsburgh, New York * Permanent collection of the Champlain Museum, Lake Champlain, New York * Permanent Collection St. Joseph's Oratory Museum, Montréal, Québec, Canada * Permanent collection of Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development Museum, Kuwait

Publications

* Boston Museum of Fine Arts "Give the Arts a Chance" Catalog 2011, 2012 * Fine Art Magazine, Samir Sammoun in Montreal, Channeling Van Gogh, Victor Forbes, Winter 2006 * Musée des beaux-arts de Montreal – Galerie d'art Catalog. Foreword by Michelle Dionne, First Lady of Quebec. 2005 * Fine Art Magazine, Samir Sammoun Fields of Faith, Groves of Gratitude, Victor Forbes, Spring 2004 * Fine Art Magazine, Samir Sammoun Walking with Giants, Victor Forbes, Spring 2003 * Musèe Marc-Auréle Fortin Museum Catalog "Sammoun au Musée Marc-Auréle Fortin" 2003 * MAGAZINART, October 2000 : Samir Sammoun, Artiste Peintre de Grande Classe * Samir Sammoun, Artiste Peintre de classe internationale, Pierre H. Savignac, 1996 * National Library of Canada, 1993 * Bibliothèque Nationale du Québec, 1992

Solo exhibitions

* Galerie d'Orsay, Boston, Massachusetts, 2022, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2024. * Onessimo Fine Art February 2013, 2024 * Douglas Albert Gallery, State College, Pennsylvania, 2009 * Chasen Galleries, Richmond, Virginia, 2009, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 * Latino Art Museum, Pomona, California, 2008 * J.R. Mooney Galleries, San Antonio, Texas, 2007, 2004 * Exhibition, Gallery d'art of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 2007 * Artagraphix, Westlake Village, California 2005, 2002 * Retrospective One-Man Exhibition at the Marc-Aurèle Fortin Museum, Montréal, 2003 to 2004 * Salon des Galeries d'Art, Montréal, 2000 * Gallery Klimantiris, Montréal, Québec, 1997 * Salon des Galeries d'Art, Place Bonaventure, Montréal, Québec, 1995 * Gallery Centre d'Art Monrency, Montréal, Québec, 1994 * Hazelton Fine Art Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, 2022, 2023, 2024 * Hazelton Fine Art Gallery, Port Carling, Ontario, 2023 * Lily pad Gallery, Milwaukee, United States, 2023, 2024. * Tatum gallery, Red Bank, NJ, United States, 2023 * D`may gallery, Cape May, NJ, United States, 2023, 2024. * Mary Martin Galleries of Fine Art, Charleston, SC, United States, 2023, 2024.

Group exhibitions

* Art Expo, New York, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996 * IDS Toronto 2025 * Start art fair, 2023, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK * Art San Diego, San Diego, 2022 * Art Expo, Dallas, 2022 * Art Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM, United States, 2018, 2022 * LA Art Show, Los Angeles, California, USA, 2020, 2025 * Art International Zurich – Contemporary Art Fair, Zurich, Switzerland, 2018 * Art Salzburg Contemporary and Antique International, Salzburg, Austria, 2018 * Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show, February 2013 * Galerie d'Orsay "View Points & Vistas" 2012, 2022 * Art Expo Miami, 2021, 2013 * Le Balcon D'Art, Montreal, Quebec, 2012 * Off the Wall Gallery, Houston, Texas, 2012 * Gallery D'May, Cape May, New Jersey, 2011 *

Montreal City Hall The five-story Montreal City Hall (, ) is the seat of local government in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was designed by architects Henri-Maurice Perrault and Alexander Cowper Hutchison, and built between 1872 and 1878 in the Second Empire (archit ...

, June 2005 * Canadian Heritage Art Gallery, 2004 * Palm Springs Expo, Palm Springs, California, 2003 * Plattsburgh State University Art Museum, 2002 * McCord Museum, Montréal, 2002 * Decor Expo, Atlanta, Georgia, 2002 * Collectors Editions, New York Art Expo, 2002, 2001 * Caza, Longueuil, Québec, 1999 * Galeries Ozias Leduc, Montréal, 1998 * CAPI, Venice, Italy, 1993 * CAPSQ, Dorval, Québec, 1992

Corporate and public collections

* Government of Quebec, Offices of the Premier : Quebec City, Québec *

, Presidential Palace: Beirut, Lebanon * City of Plattsburgh, New York: Office of the Mayor * St-Joseph Oratory Museum: Montréal, Québec * Vidéotron : Canada * Ayerst Laboratories : Montréal, Québec * Metropolitan Orchestra: Montréal, Québec * Novartis Pharma Canada Inc. : Montréal, Québec * Swaby Ogilvy, Renault : Montréal, Québec * Bkerke, Maronite Catholic Patriarchate, Junieh, Lebanon * Delta Hotel : Montréal, Québec * IBM Corporation : Montréal, Québec * Coca-Cola Corporation : HQ, San Antonio, Texas * Arab Fund for Economic & Social Development(AFESD) * DataPoint Capital, Boston, Massachusetts Also in private collections in the United States, Canada, Mexico, France, and England

References

External links

Press Republican.com

SUNY Plattsburgh news

Samir Sammoun Official Website

* ttps://archive.today/20130717084453/http://www.galerie-dorsay.com/artwork_viewall.asp?id=2000078 Gallerie d'Orsay Group Exhibition Viewpoints & Vistas – Pissarro, Rembrandt, Whistler, Sammoun {{DEFAULTSORT:Sammoun, Samir 1952 births Living people Canadian people of Lebanese descent 20th-century Canadian painters Canadian male painters 21st-century Canadian painters Canadian inventors Canadian Impressionist painters Artists from Montreal Canadian telecommunications engineers Canadian landscape painters Lebanese painters Lebanese inventors Lebanese engineers Canadian contemporary painters Lebanese contemporary artists 20th-century Canadian male artists 21st-century Canadian male artists