Sharjah’s House of Wisdom opens an exhibition dedicated to renowned Lebanese poet and artist Gibran Khalil Gibran. The show titled A Window to the Soul: Gibran Khalil Gibran was inaugurated by Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah. The show features 34 of his original works and celebrates the artist’s practice.
The exhibition is divided into thematic categories: A Window; Connections: Roots and Branches; Formation; Study: Faces; Medium: Red Chalk; Method: Perspective; and, finally, The Soul.
The show will feature 15 of his works which have never been seen before, displayed alongside the artist’s oil and gauche, and watercolor works, as well as his charcoal sketches. There are also a number of Gibran’s personal belongings on display, including four manuscript notebooks, a watercolor set, and an easel.
The galley proof and plate proof of his most well-known book, The Prophet, are also on view. The Lebanese-American poet published the collection of prose poetry fables in 1923, and the title has not been out of print since.
In his writing, Gibran often explores ideas of mysticism, but also of natural beauty and its place in a modernizing world. He died in New York City in 1931, at the age of 48.
Presented in partnership with Gibran National Committee and the Gibran Museum, the show is also sponsored by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and supported by the Barjeel Art Foundation.
A Window to the Soul: Gibran Khalil Gibran is on view until Thursday, January 6.