How to draw Lebanon? How to explain it, analyse and describe it.
In this book designated to the glory of this country, some have expressed it through words, words issued by their ills but above all of the unconditional love they have for it despite all its contradictions and follies. Others have expressed it through drawings or photos… passionately, tenderly, warmly, yet sometimes with sadness assorted with deep anger.
This book, represents Lebanon through all of those facets.
The unfolding of these pages is a framework that we made to be disconnected
from all logic, like this country, its capital, and its people. It bursts from everywhere. The artistic and cultural feathers offer the readers the cult of beauty. The common thread linking the sections is a constant that we wanted to call Hope and to which we have given each time a different colour. Green, blue, white, red, yellow, brown…
A hope anchored in each and every Lebanese which is experienced in irrational and fatal ways. It is the hope of rebirth, hope of attachment, of courage, patience and expectations. These hopes are based on an insane destiny which flows under our skin, and which we cannot bring ourselves to run away from.
It is an enthusiasm, a surreal well of contradicting and fierce emotions, yet they are vivid. Unbearably intense.
It is true, being Lebanese is a vocation, an onerous, painful and almost unthinkable mission. However, it is immensely beautiful.
That is for Lebanon runs through our veins, inexplicably.
This hope is a constant that exists and comes back to us, like words that are struck at every turn on the street, at every mountain peak, at every stretched valley and every river, at the edges of its lakes and in the shade of its forests…
it’s a cry for life, for rebirth.
Draw me a cedar is a hymn to Lebanon, the land of Cedar, honey, incense, art and culture.
This book, conceived by Pascale Choueiri Saad and Cathy Chami Tyan, could not have been accomplished without the trust and moral support of Lara Hanna Debs, the precious input of Joumana Hachem El Yazigi whom we particularly thank for her devotion, and continuous help.
We would also like to thank Nelly Choucair Zeidan for her positive energy, good vibes, and constant enthusiasm, as well as all the persons who contributed to this work, and who, generously offered their advices, gave us their time, listened to us, were implicated, and encouraged us.
Above all we thank all the artists featured in this collection for accepting to put at our disposal their talent, to serve our cause.
For having shown their trust in us, we thank:
– S.E.M Rami Adwan
– Kifah Yehya
– Stephane Amine
– Mayane Choucair Karam – Nassib Nasr
– Diala Choucair Tabet
– Suha Abourialy Feghali
– Dina Katmarji
– Joelle Aziz
– Gihad Achkar
– Peter Ingea
– Rana Tadros Zmokhol
– Nabil Mourani
– Edgard Seikaly
– Lebanese American University (LAU) – Galerie Modus France
– Librairie Antoine
– Intermove
– Anis Printing Press
