The Mark Hachem Gallery is proud to announce the exhibition of the phenomenal artist, Ghazi Baker, who was granted the honor of showing his work at the world-renowned Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam last year.
Ghazi Baker (1967) is a self-taught artist in addition to being a practicing architect and manager of his own firm, CC&A. Since his early teens, he has been in a constant state of communion and renewal with the world around him, always learning and intellectualizing new experiences. Born in Beirut with Iranian and Armenian heritage, Baker was raised and formed in part during the Lebanese Civil War. He spent some of his youth in Europe, where he cultivated a love for art, travel, and adventure, as well as a passion for photography and biking that grew into a source of inspiration and evolving self-awareness. Baker’s art, reminiscent of the works of George Condo in form, has grown as he has developed his style and signature. His works are now immediately recognizable, and while he has long flourished in Lebanon, becoming a big name on the Beirut art scene, his uncontainable talent is expanding into the greater art world as he steps onto the global stage. Baker has become one of the Mark Hachem Gallery’s most consistently featured artists regardless of location, and he has joined us in expositions around the globe.
Baker’s style can be characterized as an exotic cocktail of lines and forms based in post-structuralism. His work is cerebral and deliberately anti-thematic, juxtaposing lighthearted visuals with deeply human concepts and influences to portray an aesthetic contradiction that reflects the human condition without imposing upon it. Influenced by a varied range of sources such as comic book art, music, films, motorcycle culture, esoteric imagery, and everyday life, Baker searches for new ways to highlight the artistic process itself. His oeuvre is inspired by great thinkers such as J. Derrida, M. Foucault, and M. Merleau-Ponty, as well as by other artists including Francis Bacon and David Salle.
Baker’s work is shown by the gallery internationally, and is highly sought after by major collectors in the Middle-East, Europe, the USA, and beyond. His art is featured in institutional and foundation collections in such cities as Beirut and Dubai, among others, and more recently, his works were featured at private auctions, where they easily exceeded set reserves.
Baker’s presence as a Year of Rembrandt ambassador for the Rijksmuseum heralded his invitation to showcase his work. While the Year of Rembrandt was originally in 2019, the event was postponed until 2022 due to Covid-19, and one of the ways in which the monumental Dutch artist was celebrated was with the work of various talented artists, including our own Ghazi Baker, being exhibited. The work he was asked to show was a striking piece called “Deutsch,” which catches the eye with its dramatic use of color and form, coming to life with Ghazi’s signature flare.
“Every once in a while, an event happens that sets a milestone in your life. Last night was such an event,” Baker said of the occasion, having been asked to attend as the winners of the Rembrandt Experience contest hosted by the museum were announced. To add to the magic of the night, “Deutsch” was shown in the Hall of Honor, alongside the works of such masters as Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh.
For such a renowned and respected museum as the Rijksmuseum to acknowledge Baker’s talent and dedication is a much deserved honor, and this event has certainly cemented his position among the greats. We are excited to see what he does next, and watch as his art brings him to new heights.
