Ghinwa Radwan

Visual Artist

Ghinwa Radwan is a visual artist of diverse and eclectic talents.

As a painter and a sculptor, she is the creator of the statues of Aley’s (and Lebanon’s) most famous cinematic couple – Adib Haddad and Salwa Al-Hajj (Abou Melhem and Oum Melhem).

Ghinwa Radwan was born in Aley and attended the Universal College, where she developed an early affinity for drawing and painting. Her teachers nurtured her skills and she began to flourish. Ghinwa won first prize in an art exhibition at the age of 10, revealing the significant artistic talent that she displayed even as a young child. It was then that she knew she had found her calling.

"Girl of Nature"

After completing school and starting a family, Ghinwa studied Visual Arts at the Lebanese University.

She continued to hone her skills with some of Lebanon’s foremost painters, including the acclaimed Jamil Molaeb, Hassan Jouni and many notable artists of that era.

In 1989, seeking a safer environment for herself and her family, Ghinwa migrated to Canada.

There, she perfected her craft of watercolor painting, studying under the well-known artist, Barry Lovegrove.

“I was the girl of the mountain, the girl of nature. This was reflected in my paintings,’ she says.

“I loved watercolours and painted exclusively with that medium for 12 years. I didn’t take up oil painting, because I couldn’t tolerate the smell of turpentine.

“When the opportunity arose, I participated in exhibitions, but I was not yet practicing art as seriously as I wanted.”

Ghinwa’s time in Canada stimulated her drive for learning in allied fields.

She studied interior design, though she didn’t take it as her speciality.

“I discovered it was a profession which required connections, which I didn’t yet have.”

She then studied fashion design – a passion since her early childhood.

“As a young girl, I designed and sewed entire wardrobes for Barbie – summer, winter, evening wear – at the time there was nothing available,” she says.

“I loved fashion design so much, but it wasn’t financially viable for me to start my own company.”

Return

In 1999, Ghinwa Radwan returned to her hometown of Aley.

“At that time, I was invited to go to Qatar, to work as an artist, to paint inside the newly constructed airport, for three months,” she recalls.

In 2002-2003, she returned to Qatar, working as the designer/director/foreman for an interior design establishment.

She returned once again to Lebanon, becoming even more immersed in her artistic pursuits.

In 2010, Ghinwa organised an Art Exhibition in Aley, inviting artists from Lebanon and the region to display their works.

It was a great success, and from 2011 until 2019, Ghinwa continued to organise the event, which then became known as the International Fine Arts Festival, at Darj al-Fan, Aley. The event attracted 74 artists from different countries of the world.

She participated in and organized many seminars around the world in countries such as India (2015), Greece, France (2015), Egypt (2018), and Jordan at the invitation of Salt University (2010).

Ghinwa was the recipient of the Appreciation Award at the Dubai Festival of Arab Fine Arts 2017, and received the Shield of Excellence

Honorary Prize from Cairo Atelier.

She was a member of a joint exhibition with five Lebanese and Egyptian artists entitled Bridges of Communications, in Beirut and Cairo (2018).

She also was awarded first prize at the Russian Cultural Center in Beirut in 2021.

"Colors & Secrets"

Around this time, she realised she needed to expand her artistic repertoire.

“I had mainly painted landscapes and nature in watercolour,” says Ghinwa.

“I needed to learn more. I needed to do something different. Growth as an artist is essential.”

She was interested in changing mediums, experimenting with acrylic, challenging her boundaries.

This led Ghinwa in search of a teacher – and she found him in Baghdad.

But rather than make the trip to Iraq, she invited him to Lebanon to conduct painting workshops.

“I started a new life with a new teacher – my perspective completely changed and it was reflected in my artwork,” she recalls.

In 2016, Ghinwa held her first solo exhibition – “The Language of Colors” – in Glass Gallery, in Hamra, Beirut.

“My first exhibition in Lebanon was completely different than anything I had done before – it was abstract and colourful – a surprise!”

It was a resounding success, and gave her confidence and motivation to continue.

Another solo exhibition followed in September 2018 – “Colors and Secrets” – at Galerie Exode in Achrafieh, Beirut.

Fearless & Audacious

Following this success in 2018, Ghinwa grew restless, and again felt the urge for artistic expansion.

She came to meet the renowned Lebanese sculptor, Pierre Karam (from Amchit), and was excited to try this form of art – a complete departure from anything she had previously attempted.

“When I discovered I was good, it gave me energy to do more and more in the world of sculpture,” says Ghinwa.

Ghinwa achieved remarkable success with her sculptures, in very short time.

Before long, she had created statues of Fairuz, Sabah, Said Akl, Omar Sharif, Celine Dion, Amin Malouf … to name a few …

“I was fearless. Pierre Karam was constantly amazed, telling me how audacious and brave I was to attempt such difficult sculptures,” she says.

“I am never scared to try. I am constantly creating figures in clay, then collapsing them. Even if they are good, I know I can always make them again, even better.”

She now divides her time between both painting and sculpting.

“Sculpture takes time,’’ she explains.

“I work only for 1-2 hours at a time on a single sculpture. The hands and arms get tired, but also the eyes, and the interpretation. It’s important to step away for a few days or even a week, and come back with fresh perspective, so as not to overwork the details.”

“With sculpture, you need to know when to stop.”

While the sculpture rests, Ghinwa colors her canvases. She paints in many mediums – watercolor and acrylic – and many subjects – still life, nature, abstract, or a combination of all.

Abou Melhem

In 2016, Ghinwa Radwan began work on a sculpture of Aley’s famous writer, poet and actor, Adib Haddad (known by his stage name as Abou Melhem).

Says Ghinwa: “When it was completed, I asked Pierre Karam for his opinion.

“I asked him – ‘What does it need?’

“He told me – ‘It needs Oum Melhem.’

And so it was that Ghinwa began work on Abou Melhem’s famous counterpart (in life and on screen), Salwa Al-Hajj.

After a long wait, the statues have finally found a resting place, to be unveiled in Aley on 11 September 2024.

Titanic

In 2016, Ghinwa Radwan was invited to participate at the Titanic Exhibition at the Lebanese Diaspora Energy Conference.

A joint project between the ILTC (International Lebanese Titanic Committee), Vestiges D’Orient (art studio in Beirut), and LERC – Lebanese Emigration Research Center (NDU – Notre Dame University), under the patronage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, contributed to a successful painting exhibition at the LDE Conference, aimed at paying tribute to the brave Lebanese whose courage, hardship, resilience, and determination continue to echo in the current migration from Lebanon.

The paintings of all the participating artists – including Ghinwa and her brother, the prominent painter Nabil Radwan – were bequeathed to The Lebanon and Migration Museum at NDU, and are on display there.

Unesco Award

In December 2023, Ghinwa was one of a handful of elite Lebanese artists to be honoured by UNESCO.

The International Center for Human Sciences (CISH) – UNESCO launched the annual Humanities Award in its first edition, under the title “Creativity in Fine Arts Category” on Friday, 27 December, 2023 at its premises in Byblos, where a selected group of renown fine artists were honored in recognition of their creativity, innovation, and preserving the originality of their art.

The award grand ceremony was held under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Culture, Muhammad Wissam Al-Murtada. Dr. Darina Saliba Abi Chedid, Director of the CISH-UNESCO, representing the Minister, appreciated the innovation characterizing these fine artists, as they left traces that distinguished Lebanese and international art.

In his turn, the journalist Yazbek Wehbeh presented the ceremony and introduced the honorees, who included Ghinwa Radwan, Pierre Karam and Hassan Jouni.

"Art is Medicine"

Ghinwa is now preparing for a new exhibition – a series of mixed media landscapes and abstract historical buildings, aimed at preserving local heritage from an artistic viewpoint.

Ghinwa Radwan is an artist with a big and gracious heart, and an adventurous spirit.

“Money is never my motivating factor,” says Ghinwa.
“Art is medicine – for the body, mind and soul.”