Issa Halloum

Born in 1968 in Kuwait, Issa Halloum is a Lebanese painter who takes inspiration from the natural beauty and everyday scenes found in his homeland, from the expansive green fields of the Bekaa to fishing boats coming ashore and carefully tended pot plants on a brightly coloured balcony. Halloum studied at the National Institute of Fine Arts, Lebanese University, graduating in 1993, and later at the Academia di Bera in Milan. His canvases portray immediately recognisable subjects, captured in uplifting colours and with a freshness that adds to the immediacy of the scene, but also lends a touch of nostalgia. Shades of azure depict both the Mediterranean waters that are home to bathers and fishermen, and the charming, peeling paint of a wall providing the background to a delightful display of flowering plants, while farm animals and trees, complete with fruit, are set against a dazzling golden meadow. Detailed or silhouetted, Halloum’s subjects are immediately discernible, reinforcing the reality that the artist is committed to sharing. Halloum’s work has been shown extensively in Lebanon, including at the Salon d’Automne, Sursock Museum, as well as in Kuwait, Syria, the UAE and Italy. It can also be found in local and international private collections.