Lebanese visual artist and retired airline pilot, Captain Abdulmawla Oweini, honed his artistic skills at The Art Students League of New York, mastering various painting techniques. His talent caught the eye of his professor, Richard Pionk, who extended a personal invitation to his private studio and sponsored him throughout his stay in New York. Upon returning to Lebanon, Oweini continued to cultivate his artistic career, organizing numerous individual and collective exhibitions that showcased his unique vision and skill.
“Untitled Exhibition” Interview
“When I was a pilot, the first thing I did was go to the country’s museums”
How would you describe your artistic style and how is it reflected in the pieces presented in this exhibition?
The artistic style that you see now was not like that in the past. When I entered the Art Institute in New York, they asked me: What style do you want to choose so that we know how we can work with you to refine and strengthen it so that you can follow it and create in it in the future? So I said, “What excites me most now is drawing nature and its many colors, which have inhabited my feelings and mind since my childhood.” I spent six full months learning about the classical plastic arts at this institute, until I became advanced in mixing different colors to achieve the color I wanted, thus creating a complete painting.
When I was visiting the Metropolitan Museum in New York, I would pass by the galleries that displayed abstract works, because they did not interest me much, so I would go straight to the works of Monet, Manet, Cézanne and their like… I would stand for long hours studying their style and colors in order to learn more of what I had learned.
When I was practicing my work as a pilot, the first thing I used to do was go to the country’s museums, where I would spend a day or two, enjoying the works of great artists of all kinds. After I retired from my work as a pilot, and after my return from New York, I would display my works in various places, all of which were about nature. Until a fundamental change occurred when I visited a few exhibitions of prominent Lebanese artists who were displaying abstract works that received great demand and remarkable approval from viewers, which caught my attention and interest.
At this moment, I began to think seriously about embarking on this experience, and I am confident that I will overcome any difficulty that may arise in this new leap. So I started experimenting with this new method without anyone knowing. I made a lot of mistakes and succeeded a little. I stumbled and got up like a child on his first attempt to walk on his feet, and with steadfastness with perseverance and determination to succeed, things began to fall into place, and abstract work began to gain my acceptance and attention before others saw it. I do not hide that I went through a very difficult stage, because abstract painting is the embodiment of the painter’s feelings, feelings, and what his imagination creates.
Being a former pilot captain, how much influence did travel/flying have on your artistic perspective and do you think your paintings are a reflection of your observations during flights?
The well-known artist, Mr. Hassan Jouni, used to say to me: Whenever I see your paintings, I feel as if I am seeing them from a high place. He knew me and I knew him when I was a pilot. He was my colleague before I retired and started my new career as a painter. I say this because when I was flying my plane over the country, which is rich in natural scenery, I was looking at it from the window to my left, and I was taken in by shades of green, yellow, and orange, some of which tended to be dark and some to bright, and my memory stored what I saw without my awareness.
What messages do you hope to convey to visitors through your artwork?
When I display my works, I do not think about conveying specific messages to the viewer, but rather I trust
that he is affected by his feelings, so that a culture of the beautiful feeling
of art develops in him.
Many artists have a favorite painting or paintings in their gallery. Do you have one, and if so, what makes it special to you?
I do not have a favorite painting in my work. Every painting has its value and importance, and I hope that its value will increase when it is well received and accepted by the viewer.
My practice of the art of drawing is more of a hobby than a profession. When I practice drawing, I feel a happiness that is unmatched by any happiness in the world.
I feel elation and joy enter my heart and keep me away from all the disadvantages of life around me. This may be the reason for prolonging my life and exceeding ninety years, and I still enjoy good health, thank God!
How important is visitor feedback to you as an artist, and does it influence your work in any way?
The observations, comments, and praise that I hear may differ from one person to another. Some of them praise me out of satisfaction for my personality and are far from knowing the atmosphere of art and painting,
and others ask that I explain to him what I mean by this abstract painting, because he is accustomed to seeing a tree and an old house at the end of an orchard. green . As for what I hear from an artist who lives in a world like mine,
this concerns me a lot. I respect his comments and immerse myself in the atmosphere of art and the arts with him.
I am one of those who listen to others and learn from them. Perhaps a word will benefit me and have a clear impact on any of my work.
What advice would you give to aspiring illustrators who dream of holding their own exhibitions one day?
My advice to every aspiring artist is not to be tempted by too much admiration for his work. A successful artist is one who always feels that he is still a student and has the desire to improve his performance.
He takes the advice of others and accepts criticism. Thus, he becomes a valuable artist without knowing it.