Rafic Charaf

Born in Baalbeck in 1932, Charaf studied at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA), before obtaining a scholarship from the Spanish government to attend the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid. Back in Lebanon, he carved a reputation as a leading member of the first generation of modernist painters, displaying versatility in his work, which is widely viewed as relaying many autobiographical aspects of his life over the years. He experimented with a range of media, including charcoal for his depictions of the Lebanese Civil War and wood, mixed-media and gold-leaf work, as evidenced in his Byzantine Icons. He later became synonymous with transforming traditional handicrafts into high art. Charaf’s work is widely exhibited. He also taught locally for many years, before passing away in 2003.