Since her first painting, Red Sun (1964), Huguette Caland never stopped painting. She challenged conventions of Lebanese society by portraying her lovers, parts of the body, and canvases in which writing plays a central role. She explores the line as a guiding thread, never lifting the pen from the paper while drawing. These lines form bodies, cities, and continuous writing. In 1990, the artist wrote, “Life is concrete because we belong to a body. It is abstract because we know we will die.”
The works of Huguette Caland exhibited at the Biennial reveal a dialogue between painting and drawing, always in contained formats that invite close viewing. Between oils on linen and works on paper, the artist explores fluid lines, soft colors, and body fragments that oscillate between abstraction and sensuality. Visitors encounter compositions that seem like landscapes and, at the same time, intimate details, where humor and eroticism subtly emerge.
In Body Fragments (1973), measuring 49 centimeters high by 41 wide, a painting shows pink blotches accumulating in soft curves, reminiscent of folds of skin seen up close. The body does not appear whole: only fragments suggest contact and volume, like rounded hills, leaving space for the imagination to complete the scene.
A similar play appears in Yellow Smile (1970), much smaller, at 12 centimeters high by 17 wide. Here, the intense yellow background dominates the surface, while delicate curved lines hint at body forms. The vibrant color adds lightness and an almost playful tone to the subtle sensuality of the drawing.
In another direction, Desert (1985), measuring 45 centimeters high by 61 wide, depicts two elongated forms painted in ochre and soft orange tones over a light background. They can be read as bodies lying side by side or as an arid landscape viewed from above. The ambiguity between body and desert creates an image that is both intimate and distant.
Among the works on paper, Parenthesis 1 (1971), 24 centimeters high by 19 wide, stands out. It is a very simple drawing: a single ink line traverses the paper like the movement of a pen. This curved line resembles a fold of fabric or the opening of a shell, condensing the presence of the body into a minimal and delicate gesture.
Finally, Homage to Pubic Hair (1992), 12 centimeters high by 25 wide, is a horizontal drawing on paper. In the center, a black blot made of short lines represents pubic hair. Nearby appear small colored circles, like medallions, one almost touching the central core. From this area extends a diagonal stripe in pink and green that crosses the paper like the line of an undergarment, a strip seemingly resting just below the pubis. This stripe connects this area to a circle near the left edge, while another more isolated circle appears on the right, linked by a thin line. At the top, black and gray rectangles suggest steps. The light background highlights the motif, transforming the intimate detail of the body into the central theme of the work.
Caland’s work reminds us that the most intimate and seemingly trivial moments can be the most important in our lives.