EXHIBITIONS
Recent
Indulgence Solo Show, December 2022 - Beirut
Past
Functional Impairment Solo Show, May 2022 - New York
Abstinence Solo Show, October 2021 - New York
Colors of Lebanon 2021 - Virtual
Art Basel Miami 2019 - Miami
ABOUT
Lebanese Armenian artist, Alexandra Bitar, probes the effect of anxiety on her generation.
Growing up in Beirut, a city that is a mix of instability and illusion, she finds refuge in comic books, which she will then adopt as her form of expression.
Her work is a blend of acrylic, ink and genderless creatures that mimic people from her surroundings in a language influenced by surrealism , German expressionism and most importantly the unconscious mind.
Alexandra was present during the port explosion of Beirut in August 2020. She witnessed first hand the collapse of the country she calls home.
Her exhibition entitled ‘Abstinence’ (Oct 2021) symbolizes total restraint from feeling anything other than complete numbness.She considers her art as therapy for the never ending struggle her generation is living through.
"Many people glance at my art and feel uncomfortable, a rush of emotions.Some described it as macabre yet playful. They see their anxiety on canvas and it makes them feel less lonely knowing that some people share their struggle."
After moving back and reconciling with her country , she came back to New York to present her work in her exhibition entitled “Functional impairment” (May 2022) which was a testimony of a transformative chapter.
She reflected on the disparities between two societies-Beirut and New York , that are worlds apart and yet cope with change and trauma in a similar way.The struggles can leave you impaired. And yet those impairments are means to survival. Through her works , she aims to highlight the similarities among individuals, beyond inherited constraints, that characterize humanity in these inhumane times.
Alexandra graduated with a BFA in comic book design ,she continued her studies at Christie’s New York and had multiple shows in New York as well as Art Basel Miami in 2019 with her latest show in Beirut “Indulgence” (Dec 2022). Mirroring the ebbs and flows of human beings , “Indulgence” appears like the antithesis of her previous exhibition “Abstinence”. Although considered as opposites , indulgence and abstinence go hand in hand.through her paintings, Alexandra explores the transformative journey of life cycles.
She has also worked on the flower illustrations for the ‘22 winter campaign of Diane Von Furstenberg in New York. She hopes to introduce her work to the Middle East this year .
PRESS
Alexandra Bitar, l’ombre et la lumière...
https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1324178/alexandra-bitar-lombre-et-la-lumiere.html
Lebanese Alexandra Bitar brings her generation's anxieties to New York | اللبنانية ألكسندرا بيطار تنقل قلق جيلها إلى نيويورك