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Samia Osseiran Junblat

Samia Osseiran Junblat: A Distinguished Lebanese Artist and Poet

Samia Osseiran Junblat is a Lebanese artist who was born in 1944 in Saida, in the south of Lebanon. A prolific and versatile artist, she has also written poetry, providing the illustrations for her published work.

Educational Pursuits: Samia Osseiran Junblat’s Journey from Beirut to Florence and Tokyo

Osseiran Junblat studied first at Beirut College for Women – now part of the Lebanese American University – graduating with a BA in Fine Arts in 1965, before travelling to Florence, Italy, where she gained an MA in Fine Art from the Institute of Pius XII Institute two years later.

Having returned to Lebanon, in 1973, Osseiran Junblat was awarded a scholarship by the Japanese Embassy, paving the way for her to enrol at the University of Fine Arts in Tokyo. She obtained a diploma in Graphic Art from the institution in 1975.

Artisana of Saida: Empowering Women Artists in South Lebanon

In 1977, Osseiran Junblat founded the ‘Artisana of Saida and South Lebanon’, an NGO aimed at encouraging women artists, which is still operating today.

The Tokyo Influence: Zen Gardens and Rock Compositions in Osseiran Junblat’s Art

Time spent in Tokyo had a significant impact on Osseiran Junblat’s work, as evidenced in her landscapes featuring Zen gardens, Japanese lanterns and rock compositions. Other influential factors range from the regional and domestic conflicts, and personal trauma she experienced, to Lebanon’s flourishing art scene in the latter part of the 20th century. She is one of several female artists referenced in ‘The Woman Artist in Lebanon’, a key publication by the renowned visual artist and writer Helen Khal.

Personal Tragedy and Artistic Expression: Black and White to Floral Tributes

Exemplifying the way that personal experiences steered her art at times, she exhibited a collection of thin-lined, ink pen landscapes, portraits and geometric abstractions, produced in black and white, after her brother’s untimely death in 1972. Later on, in 1999 and 2007, Osseiran Junblat exhibited paintings with floral themes as tributes to both her father and mother following their deaths. These exhibitions were held at the UNESCO Palace, Beirut and Safana Gallery, respectively.

Themes of Nature and the Cosmos in Samia Osseiran Junblat’s Paintings

Flowers in bloom are signature features of the many colourful and uplifting realistic paintings Osseiran Junblat has produced, alongside other subjects that range from cacti, complete with prickly spikes, and citrus fruits in vibrant shades of yellow and orange. Other themes include solar elements, recalling the artist’s fascination with the universe and far-reaching associated ideas. She has commented that she is “always following an unknown light that pervades everything, that emanates from the soul and from nature”. Portraits also feature in her oeuvre.

Exhibition Highlights: From Florence to Beirut and Beyond

Samia Osseiran Junblat’s art featured in a landmark collective, held in 2009, which acknowledged the artists who continued to work during the civil war. Titled ‘The Road to Peace: Painting in Times of War, 1975 – 1991’, the exhibition was curated by Saleh Barakat and took place at Beirut Art Centre.

Her work has been exhibited extensively in Lebanon and abroad across the decades. In the early years, it featured in solo shows in: Florence, at the Mazzuchelli Gallery and Lo Sprone Gallery; Lebanon, at the American University of Beirut Art Gallery, Gallery One and Alex Manougian Art Centre in Beirut; and Shinsaibashi Gallery and the Tokyo American Club in Japan.

‘Féminités Plurielles’ and Other Notable Group Exhibitions Featuring Samia’s Work

Samia’s achievements include having numerous pieces featured in the Salon d’Automne, Sursock Museum in Beirut over the years and taking part in ‘Liban: Le Regard des Peintres’ at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris (1989). Recently, her work was included in a collective of women artists at Galerie Tanit, Beirut, titled ‘Féminités Plurielles’ (2018).

Samia Osseiran Junblat’s Contributions to Art Collections Worldwide

Samia Osseiran Junblat’s work can be found in several prestigious collections worldwide. Selected paintings are currently on display at the Sharjah Art Museum as part of its permanent ‘Parallel Histories’ exhibition. She continues to live and work in Bramiyeh, Saida.