Mohammad Rawas

Born Beirut, Lebanon, 1951

Rawas studied painting at the Institute of Fine Arts, Lebanese University of Beirut, 1971–5.Among the artists who taught him were Mounir Eido, Evette Achkar, Shafic Abboud (then a visiting professor) and Halim Jurdak, who introduced him to etching. Following the civil war in Lebanon, Rawas moved to Syria and later to Morocco, where he taught in Rabat, 1977–9. He then travelled to London and studied printmaking at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College, 1979–81. Upon his return to Lebanon, Rawas taught at the Institute of Fine Arts, 1982, and the American University of Beirut, 1992–2004, where he set up a printmaking studio in the Department of Architecture and Design. Between 1983 and 1992 he was secretary-general of the Lebanese association of painters and sculptors. His work, including prints, mixed media and assemblage on canvas, often incorporates photographs, words and three-dimensional elements. He has exhibited on numerous occasions in the Middle East, Europe, the USA, Japan and, in 2003, at the first Beijing International Art Biennial, China. His work is included in a number of collections, amongst them the Trondheim Kunstmuseum, and the Sharjah Museum of Contemporary Arab Art, UAE. Rawas lives and works in Beirut.