“I feel very lucky to have met wonderful people who gave me the unexpected opportunity to visit Beirut,” says artist Eileen Cooper. “After a short but intense trip, I knew I wanted to make a group of paintings as a response to this experience. I was left with an overwhelming sense of the history and beauty of Lebanon. In particular the extraordinary landscape, the magnificent Cedars and ancient mythology, this seemed like a great place to start. I’m always looking for new subjects, new inspirations.”
Eileen Cooper, Willow from Love-in-Idleness series, 2016, oil on canvas, 153 x 122cm, courtesy the artist
Cooper will be the first artist to be showcased at Letitia Gallery during its inaugural exhibition Under the Same Moon. Beirut’s newest contemporary art gallery is dedicated to artwork from the Middle East. Founded by Mohamad al Hamoud and Annie Vartivarian, the gallery hopes to promote Lebanon’s rich history, and as such Cooper has created canvases that explore local myths and legacies.
“We are delighted to be welcoming Eileen Cooper to take part in our inaugural exhibition,” says Annie Vartivarian. “With the opening of this new space we aim to widen Beirut’s already burgeoning art scene to include critically acclaimed international artists such as Cooper and later Ahmed Badry, Alejandro Ospina and Nathaniel Rackowe.”
Letitia Gallery will open on February 1 in Beirut, Lebanon and Eileen Cooper: Under the Same Moon will run between 1 February – 1 April 2018
