Eternal optimism flourishes: Tom Young captures Lebanon's resplendent landscapes, unflinchingly portraying the lasting impacts of strife
In the July 16 issue of our platform, we delve into the captivating world of British artist Tom Young, whose artwork embodies a unique cultural dialogue between Lebanon and the UK. Young, who has lived in Beirut for the past 16 years, maintains a studio there and his paintings reflect a rich emotional and cultural connection to Lebanon alongside his British roots.
Young's work often explores themes of displacement, love, and re-rooting, shaped by his experience of forced exile during the Lebanese war and his subsequent return to Beirut. His paintings capture the emotional textures of landscapes from both Lebanon and the UK, including rivers, the Mediterranean Sea, and urban ruins, melding these diverse places into his art.
The artist uses a distinctive 'Figure-Ground Reversal' technique, which involves defining forms by painting their surroundings. This approach mirrors the philosophical and emotional dynamics in his life, blending influences such as Taoist thought, the poetry of T.S. Eliot on time, and the ancient symbolism of Lebanon’s cedar trees. His art balances themes of movement, stillness, and transcendence, illustrating a meditative and resilient artistic philosophy shaped by his cultural experiences.
Some of Young's paintings feature giant flowers rising from the rubble, symbolizing new life after conflict and decay. One such painting, 'A Tiananmen Square moment', depicts a hijab-clad woman confronting Israeli tanks, challenging stereotypes about women in hijabs.
Tom Young's studio is enchanting, located in Gemmayzeh, northern Beirut, and he is currently engaged to a Lebanese woman. His art has been influenced by his time in Lebanon, and he paints 'en plein air' before working things up in his studio, absorbing the atmosphere, light, and sounds of the location.
Young's work is grounded in the tradition of English romanticism and French Impressionism. He studied fine art at Norwich School of Art and architecture at Newcastle and Istanbul. His great-great-aunt was Marianne North, a pioneering botanical artist who traveled extensively.
Tom has collaborated with the Lebanese community in London to arrange exhibitions of his work and the work of children affected by conflict in Lebanon. His current exhibition is deliberately uplifting, with British landscapes alongside Lebanese, painted in oils, often with a palette knife.
Tom Young's artwork, currently on display at Marie Jose Gallery, No 16, Victoria Grove, London W8, until July 26, invites us to witness a profound cultural dialogue between Lebanon and the UK, intertwining personal history, philosophical ideas, and the landscapes of both locales.
- Tom Young's artwork exhibited at Marie Jose Gallery, No 16, Victoria Grove, London W8, until July 26, also encompasses themes from his 'home-and-garden' lifestyle, as he often paints British landscapes, especially the rivers and the Mediterranean Sea, embodying a fusion of his Lebanese and British roots.
- After spending 16 years in Beirut, Tom Young, who recently got engaged to a Lebanese woman, continues to explore various aspects of his life in his travel experiences, as seen in his paintings featuring urban ruins from both Lebanon and the UK, suggesting a blending of diverse environments in his art.
