October Gallery is proud to represent Tarek Elkassouf, an artist based between Beirut and Sydney. Elkassouf’s studio specialises in expressing contemporary art, crafted using precise, traditional craftsmanship handed down over hundreds of years in the Middle East. His language explores the dialogue between the man and the machine.
Carrying on with the expansion of our portfolio, we are thrilled to introduce Elkassouf whose works align with our philosophy and vision of design. His pieces focus on material transformation and organicity, highlighting the beauty of nature and the mundane through traditional, ancient Lebanese craftsmanship.
“My work is about the raw energy extracted from the heart of the Earth, crafted by the work of hands, cut and fashioned with passion, roughness removed, inequality polished away. It is an ode to beauty, an ode to the material.”
In 2018 Elkassouf was the selected resident artist at the Swatch Art Gallery in Shanghai. He has also collaborated with international brands like Cartier. Elkassouf’s work has been commissioned by international museums such as the Institute of the Arab World in France, and Ithra in Saudi Arabia. It has been added to the inalienable collections of the museums of France as well.
By paying extra attention to the small things in life, Elkassouf's mission is to create a connection with people and make them change the ways they observe their surroundings.
“I see beauty in examining the details of the mundane. The qualities you would otherwise miss. The mundane is surprising. I want people to stop and observe and absorb, and celebrate it. Then continue on their day, with their life having been enriched, and with a changed perception of the world.”
Elkassouf’s work has been featured at more than 20 international exhibitions, and is represented in galleries and museums in the Middle East, Asia, America and Europe. His work is present in Beirut, Kuwait, Dubai, Paris, Shanghai, New York, Singapore, Riyadh, Madrid, Fribourg, Toronto, Honk Kong, London, Bangkok, Munich.
Elkassouf's collection highlights the beauty of natural stones, such as travertine, marble and onyx embellished with metals and expertly crafted by highly specialised artisans in Lebanon. Discover the Chessboard, close to Elkassouf's heart, the Gold Cuts, a simple yet complex object, the Merge Vases, impious intersection of materials and My Ashtray, a doorway to inspiration.