{
  "id": 19826964,
  "title": "Art against erasure: A Palestinian sculptor and a Lebanese painter on war, exile and memory",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/art-against-erasure-a-palestinian-sculptor-and-a-lebanese-painter-on",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-13T15:42:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Middle East Eye",
    "slug": "middle-east-eye",
    "url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/art-against-erasure-palestinian-sculptor-lebanese-painter-war-exile-memory"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "Art against erasure: A Palestinian sculptor and a Lebanese painter on war, exile and memory Submitted by Victoria Brittain on Fri, 11/13/2026 - 12:11 Abdul Rahman Katanani and Ayman Baalbaki, close as brothers, have spent decades turning the violence of their youth into work shown in museums and collections worldwide Abdul Rahman Katanani in his studio outside Beirut (Victoria Brittain/MEE) Off…",
  "key_points": [
    "Abdul Rahman Katanani creates art from Lebanon's refugee camp materials",
    "Ayman Baalbaki's paintings depict destruction of Beirut and veiled men",
    "Both artists transform war, exile, and memory into worldwide exhibits"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}