BIO
Fadi Elchamaa (b. 1960, Beirut) is a Lebanese artist whose career spans over four decades, marked by a profound exploration of memory, emotion, and transformation. His artistic journey reflects a search for meaning in the duality of existence—the sweetness of fleeting joys and the bitterness of lingering sorrows—a balance that defines the human experience.
Growing up during Lebanon’s civil war, Elchamaa’s sense of identity was profoundly shaped by instability and loss. These experiences find their way into his work, which navigates the delicate boundary between personal memory and collective consciousness. His artistic evolution reflects this tension: from portraiture that delved into likeness and identity, to abstraction that seeks to dissolve and reassemble emotional and experiential fragments.
From 1998 to 2013, Elchamaa worked as a creative director for JWT (J. Walter Thompson), immersing himself in the cultural textures of cities like Damascus, Cairo, Riyadh, and Casablanca. Painting in solitude during this period, he absorbed and transformed these influences into visual languages that culminated in the retrospective And Tomorrow Who Am I? (ARTLAB Beirut, 2019).
Lebanon’s crises in 2019 marked a pivotal shift in Elchamaa’s work. Moving beyond representation, he embraced abstraction to probe identity’s disintegration and reconstruction. Utilizing mixed media and innovative layering techniques, his luminous washes and vibrant translucence conjure visually luscious impressions. Some paintings hint at fleeting joys, others reverberate with sorrows, inviting an intimate engagement with fluid permanence.
Notable milestones in Elchamaa’s career include Transformations (Joanna Seikali Gallery, 2011), where he deconstructed identity through immersive installations, and The Disappearing Act (2022), a solo exhibition that examined the ephemeral nature of being. In 2019, he co-founded Sleeping With The Enemy Productions (SWTEP), a platform fostering collaborative and public engagement with his fragmented aesthetic.
Elchamaa’s work transcends cultural boundaries, seamlessly integrating the Arab subconscious with global artistic dialogues. This fusion weaves his narrative into universal themes, enriching contemporary artistic discourse.
Born in Beirut 1960
Lives and works in Baabdat – Lebanon
1960 – 1979 Learned to read and write
1974 – 1981 Photography and dark room
1981 – 1997 Painting
1997 – 2013 Creative Director J. Walter Thompson (Beirut, Damascus, Khobar, Manama, Cairo, Riyadh, Casablanca, Doha)
2013 – today Painting and art activism
“The only space left is inward.”
2024
SANA HELWA – collective – May – Lynn Modallal Gallery Beirut
BREATHSCAPE – نفس collective – April – Lynn Modallal Gallery Beirut
2023
THE DISAPPEARING ACT – Solo Show – Lynn Modallal Gallery Beirut
VOLTA ART FAIR – NEWYORK – Walls House Of Art Gallery – Newyork
NOT TODAY – Collective show – Lynn Modallal Galery – Beirut
LA TÊTE DANS LES NUAGES – Duoshow – Walls House Of Art – Abidjan
2022
HEY YOU يا أيها artist-curated collective show by Fadi Elchamaa – Dec 10, 2022
FUQA’A (bubble) – Solo exhibition – Galerie Janine Rubeiz Beirut – Nov 2022
PARIS LEBANON 1st Edition – Collective – 389LABOUTIQUE – curated by popup projects
ELECTICISM – Collective – DuneArtStation Dubai
DUBAI ART WEEK -Collective Artb Fltrd Gallery – Dubai
True Colors – Fltrd Gallery – Dubai – UAE – Curated by Joe Hayek
2021
MADMAN – Galerie BEIBAI – Shanghai – China – Curated by Angela Hsu
2020
THE COLLECTIVE – Galerie BeiBei – Shanghai – China
TABA3OD – 3 weeks of collaborative work with Semaan Khawam.
MAMNOU3 EL TEHZIB – 3 weeks live painting performance SWTE Beirut 15 Feb 2020
2019
AND TOMORROW WHO AM I? – Solo show Public curated retrospective 35 years of painting- Artlab gallery, Beirut Lebanon 17 Oct 2019 – (watch)
A PEACE OF LIBERTY – Gebran Tueni Foundation, Maison Libanaise – Group show, Beirut, Lebanon October 9
HOC EVA – Group show curated by Selena Cerami – London, UK June 2019
RAW – 3 weeks live painting performance – KAF Contemporary Art Gallery Beirut – Lebanon June 2019
SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY – 3 weeks live painting performance – KAF Contemporary Art Gallery Beirut – Lebanon March 2019
THE COLLECTIVE – KAF Contemporary Art Gallery Beirut – Lebanon
2018
FROM THE ARTIST’S STUDIO – Collective – KAF Contemporary Art Gallery Beirut
2016
DEVIATIONS – Solo show – Galleria Soul Egypt
ELCHAMAA VS KHAWAM – Rochane Gallery Beirut Lebanon
UTOPIAN IDENTITY – Gallerie 59 – Rivoli – Paris- France
AUCTION exhibit for AEC Beirut Lebanon – Sculpture
2015
STRANGE FRUITS – Wood Of Joy – Baabdat Lebanon
2012
MAPPING SOUL – Gallerie 59 – Rivoli – Paris- France
2011
TRANSFORMATIONS – Installation – Joanna Seikali Gallery – Lebanon Solo
1997
DRAWINGS AND PAINTINGS – Rochan Gallery – Beirut Lebanon
1996
SALON D’AUTOMNE – Sursock Museum Beirut Lebanon
1995
FLOWERS ON THE FLOOR – Installation – Forum Art Show – Beirut Lebanon
SALON D’AUTOMNE – Sursock Museum – Beirut – Lebanon
YARZEH – Yarzeh Art Gallery – Mount Lebanon – Lebanon