Art collection

Adnan Khouja 

Adnan Khouja (b. 1948, Tripoli, Lebanon) is a Lebanese painter, sculptor, poet, and cultural organizer. He is considered one of the pioneering figures of modern and contemporary art in Lebanon, combining artistic innovation with decades of teaching, institutional leadership, and cultural engagement.

Education

• Studied drawing and painting at the Lebanese University in 1973

• Completed his studies at the National School of Fine Arts in 1984

• Doctorate in Fine Arts from the University of Paris VIII in 1988

Artistic Practice

Beginning in the early 1970s, Khouja developed a distinctive artistic language rooted in his childhood memories of Tripoli and inspired by the rich visual heritage of the Eastern Mediterranean. Historic architecture, Arabic calligraphy, and traditional ornamental forms became recurring references throughout his work, reflecting a deep engagement with cultural memory and place.

Over the course of his career, his practice evolved from watercolor painting to acrylics, collage, bas-relief, sculpture, and mixed-media works. His compositions are characterized by abstract forms, geometric structures, rhythmic arrangements, and layered surfaces incorporating wood, glass, metal, and other materials. As both an artist and poet, he has consistently sought to bridge visual and literary expression, creating works that unite lyrical sensibility with formal experimentation.

Khouja's paintings, collages, bas-reliefs, and sculptures explore themes of memory, movement, transformation, and identity. His work often seeks to reconcile historical traditions with contemporary artistic expression, transforming elements of architectural heritage, calligraphy, and ornament into a modern visual language. The color red appears prominently in many of his sculptures as a symbol of movement, vitality, and modernity.

Professional Career

Throughout his career, Khouja played a major role in arts education in Lebanon.

He served as:

• Instructor at the Higher Technical School in Tripoli (1973–1979)

• President of the Association of Lebanese Artists for Painting and Sculpture (1996-1999)

• Professor at the Lebanese University (1988–2012)

• Head of the Fine Arts Department of the Doctoral School of Literature, Humanities & Social Sciences at the Lebanese University (2009–2018)

• Professor at the Beirut Arab University (2009–Present)

Through these positions, he contributed to the education and mentorship of several generations of Lebanese artists.

Exhibitions

Khouja has exhibited extensively in Lebanon and internationally, including:

• Approximately 15 solo exhibitions in Lebanon and abroad

• More than 26 collective exhibitions between 1970 and 1998

• Participation in numerous international exhibitions, biennials, and cultural events

Cultural and Institutional Contributions

Khouja has played an active role in the development of Lebanon's artistic institutions.

His contributions include:

• Founding member of the influential Group "Ten Artists" in Tripoli

• Member of the Board of the Association of Lebanese Artists for Painting and Sculpture

• Member of the Jury Committee of the Arab Council for Childhood and Development (ACCD) in Cairo

Collections

His works are included in numerous public and private collections in Lebanon and abroad, including collections associated with:

• The Lebanese Presidential Palace

• The Ministry of Defense 

• The Ministry of Culture

• Educational and cultural institutions

• Municipalities and public organizations

• Private collectors in Lebanon and internationally

Legacy

For more than five decades, Adnan Khouja has developed a distinctive artistic language that brings together abstraction, poetry, calligraphy, architecture, and material experimentation. Through his work as an artist and educator, he has made a lasting contribution to the development of contemporary Lebanese art and to the cultural life of Lebanon.