Art against erasure: A Palestinian sculptor and a Lebanese painter on war, exile and memory

Abdul Rahman Katanani and Ayman Baalbaki, two close friends and artists, have transformed the turmoil of their youth into powerful works exhibited in museums worldwide. Katanani's studio, located in Beirut, showcases his use of materials from Lebanon's Sabra and Shatila refugee camp, including barbed wire, corrugated metal sheets, olive branches, and discarded clothes.

His creations include a nine-meter barbed wire wave, a child playing, and a lotus flower, all imbued with emotional depth. Baalbaki's large-scale mixed-media paintings feature intricate layers of paint, often acrylic, depicting the destruction of Beirut's iconic buildings and the veiled faces of men, symbolizing the harsh realities of their shared history.

Both artists have spent decades turning their experiences of war, exile, and memory into remarkable art, reflecting the violence and displacement they have witnessed.