Les Cactus

The scorching heat and arid terrain are palpable in this signed and dated desert scene, which bears all the hallmarks of Aractingi’s style, from his love of bold colour to the influence of the primitive artists he so admired. Deserts are often sparsely populated places, marked by a lack of contrasts in terms of colour and landmarks, yet Aractingi provides us with plenty of both, drawing on his love for fantasy and folklore, with three red cacti taking pride of place in the sunburst- yellow sand, while other varieties edge them in the foreground; a reminder, perhaps, that variety exists everywhere, even in vast expanses of desert, if we look hard enough.
A renowned artist, Aractingi took up painting aged just 12 years, honing his skills in Egypt, where he was raised. He moved to Beirut when he got married, working there and later focusing more on his painting, which he continued to practise until his death. His work has been featured in over 100 exhibitions in Lebanon, France, the UK and the US. A retrospective show at the Sursock Museum in 2017, spanning 1973 to 2003 and titled ‘Les Mondes de Willy Aractingi’ (The Worlds of Willy Aractingi), reaffirmed his status as one of Lebanon’s most talented modernists.