ArtDayME: The exhibition of Hala Schoukair, titled The Affirmative Happiness of a Green Dot, is currently on view at Saleh Barakat Gallery, Beirut.

Alight with movement, the paintings of Hala Schoukair are delicate and yet full of presence, if not heavy with weight. This most recent body of work sees a shift in scale and intention, examining the moment of repetition, her connection with nature, and the gradual and organic build-up of marks. Her drawings, yet comprised of marks reminiscent of her paintings, demand an intimate connection. Held up to the light, rows of tiny punched-out dots and sewn lines, occasional and surprising objects drawn directly from the natural world, complex differences and similarities, tell the story of her personal journey with the unique directness of close work on paper.

Intensely detailed and repetitive, each mark, and each larger structure created from those marks, retains an individuality, a trace of the artist’s hand, her moment with that mark. This long, attentive moment, outside of language, full of emotion, is the vital force of Schoukair.

The exhibition runs until May 10, 2025.

Video credit: Saleh Barakat Gallery