"When Huguette Caland passed away on September 23 of the year 2019, Lebanon lost one of its most respected living artists. While she had lost her ability to paint in 2013, she bragged the most exemplary career, having painted from an early age until her early 80s. She was best known for her bold, colorful, explicitly erotic canvases – created during conservative times, when Lebanese and other Arabs still frowned upon sexually suggestive imagery. Huguette’s paintings and drawings are part of the collections of some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, including the British Museum in London, Centre Pompidou in Paris, and Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)." Lebanese media anchor Ricardo Karam.
Huguette Caland was born into a Lebanese political family in Beirut on 19 January 1931. Her father, Bechara El Khoury, became the first post-independence president of Lebanon in 1943, serving the country for nine years.
She came to art somewhat late in life, beginning her studies at the American University in Beirut in her 30s. In 1970, she moved to Paris where she lived and worked as an artist for 17 years. She became a regular guest at the Feraud studio, meeting many artists, including André Masson, Pierre Schaeffer, and Adalberto Mecarelli. In 1979, Caland collaborated with designer Pierre Cardin, creating a line of caftans that were displayed at Espace Cardin. In 1983, Caland met Romanian sculptor George Apostu.
عندما توفيت في 23 سبتمبر 2019، فقد لبنان أحد أكبر فنانيه على قيد الحياة. بدأت دراستها في الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت في الثلاثينيات من عمرها ودخلت عالم الفنون في عمر متأخر من حياتها. اتسمّت بالجرأة والتمرّد وردّدت دوماً: "أنا حرّة".في ذكرى رحيلها الثانية، تحية إلى #هوغيت_كالان . pic.twitter.com/Ltwgqe5KCf
— Ricardo Karam ريكاردو كرم (@RicardoRKaram) September 23, 2021
From 1983 to 1986, they worked in Paris and in the Limousin, creating many paintings and sculptures during this time. After moving from one studio to another, in 1997 she finally settled in a studio in Venice where she frequently hosted friends and members of the art community, including Ed Moses, Chris Burden, Larry Bell, Billy Al Bengston, and James Hayward. Caland moved back to Los Angeles in 1987, where she lived and worked. In 2013 she returned to Beirut.
Caland's work is still exhibited in London and other big cities two years after her passing.
