The Foundation

Mission

The foundation works to promote, honour and protect the work of the painter and sculptor Aref El Rayess (1928–2005). It does this by:

• archiving his complete body of work: paintings, photographs, sculptures, drawings and manuscripts
• organising exhibitions and cultural and educational activities in Lebanon and abroad
• publishing books and studies on his life and work
• supporting the development of painting and sculpture in Lebanon through training, exhibitions and conferences
• protecting the intellectual property rights of painters and sculptors, and encouraging collaboration with artists internationally

History

After the artist's death in January 2005, a small team led by Hala El Rayess spent three months inventorying what he had left behind in Aley: a trunk of documents, piles of works on paper and hundreds of canvases. The house and studio were then closed.

In 2012 a visit to the studio with the curator Catherine David marked a turning point. In 2015 the foundation was formally established, and the works and documents were moved from the studio into the main house in Aley and organised into an archive.

In 2019 Sfeir-Semler Gallery began representing the estate. Since then Aref El Rayess's work has been shown at Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Beirut (2021), the Sharjah Art Foundation (2022) and IVAM, Valencia (2023), and the first monograph on his work was published in 2024.

Looking ahead

In his will, Aref El Rayess hoped that his house in Aley would become a space for learning, producing and exhibiting art. That remains the foundation's ultimate aim.

Legal status

The Aref El Rayess Foundation (مؤسسة عارف الريس) is a non-profit association registered in Lebanon, established by notice no. 423 of the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities dated 4 March 2015. Its registered office is in Beirut.