The Lebanese artist “Gebran Tarazi” (1944-2010) was raised in the context of the very traditional 200 year old Tarazi wood work tradition of the Levant including traditional geometric arabesque.
Moreover, Gebran Tarazi also spent his childhood and youth in the Kingdom of Morocco, he spoke the Moroccan dialect and throughout his life all types of Moroccan traditional art on iron, silver, ceramics, leather and wood influenced his private life, overwhelmed his business career and memories.
The Lebanese Tarazi family keeps good memories of the 1956 independence of the Kingdom of Morocco and the father of Gebran Tarazi, Alfred Tarazi met His Majesty the King Mohamed Fifth cordially on several occasions as he we keen on meeting the Lebanese community living in Morocco in the 1950s.
Interestingly, Gebran Tarazi rejected openly traditional art to which his family belongs and claimed to create his own name and own modern and contemporary tradition. However, he openly claimed at the same an “oriental identity” in his art according to his own words. We could identify Levantine, Moroccan, Arab and Islamic art influences and some very clear convergence.
Although, Gebran Tarazi admitted this general context, he defined himself as an Arab Christian and refrained totally from any political or religious reference. His true ambition was to impose himself in modern and contemporary art and was frustrated when classified as traditional.
Technically, The Qayem-Nayem (2 horizontal and 2 vertical recrangles forming a square) concept gives Gebran Tarazi an idiosyncrasy in a seemingly contemporary geometric pattern. However, he was skilled enough to transcend the basic square pattern of Qayem-Nayem into a philosophy.
To what extent is Qayem-Nayem Arab or oriental or a simple universal shape that can be found everywhere. The square became a symphony and non Arabesque shape of Qayem-Nayem became Arabesque.
Discipline and strict symmetry can be found in traditional Arabesque. However, due to family reasons and problems, Gebran Tarazi was keen on breaking the lineage with Arabesque and especially tradition.
Despite being very humble and genuinely authentic as well as not widely recognised during his lifetime, he firmly believed in the greatness of his work and a certain future recognition after his death. He worked relentlessly day and night during 15 years. That literally ruined his health and social life”.
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