Lebanese artist Mohammed Shamsuddin’s art clearly reflects how
his life was in the early stages – a world turned upside down.
The destruction of his country through war impacted Shamsuddin’s
perception of art, leading him to create a unique style which
portrays space above and earth below. “I reversed the concept of
the sky above and the earth beneath,” he said. When his village,
al-Bazoureya, was occupied by Israeli forces, Shamsuddin had to
leave for the capital, Beirut, where he studied at the School of
Fine Arts. Soon after, the artist travelled to Paris, France to
enhance his academic experience. While the artist had the
opportunity to start afresh in the French capital, he chose to
return to his village. “I had the freedom to stay there, yet I
came back because of my old failed dreams,” he said. Shamsuddin
focused on abstractionism, and tossed nature and human portraits
aside. “I took refuge with the abstractionist style as it is
more challenging. I made an escape from nature and man, yet soon
I realize