Trash, treasure or Trashy Treasure?

On my last night in Lebanon...I decided to hang out near the beach Lebanese style with two bags full of "bazella" and "foul," I never knew these were considered snacks before...but I found myself addicted to them! We sat by the water, taking in the sound of waves crashing into the rocks. The surface was covered with dots of light coming from the fishermen's boats...and a small breeze would pass by every couple of minutes to remind us of how beautiful spring is in Beirut...Far into the distance, another marvelous sight stands tall...A dark, prominent feature of Beirut's skyline overlooks the sea...Mount GARBAGE. Yes, a mountain of Garbage. Now I myself don't know much about this issue in Lebanon, but I do know that recycling does not exist. Anywhere in the Middle East, for that matter. Everytime, I throw away things that could easily be recycled, I get a sick feeling inside. Although Lebanon is not exactly environmentally friendly, I know many organizations are making an effort to clean out the beaches and the streets. But they're a large minority. Which brings me to a small space in Mar Mikhael, called L'Atelier where an art exhibit called "Trashy Treasures" is taking place....

A chair made out of a barrel...

My tour guide tells me many of the small garages in Mar Mikhael are being turned into ateliers and workshops. Love Live Art! That's just what Lebanon needs, more art, less cars!!!! I first heard about this event through a fashion designer whom I interviewed and who is also a part of the participants. Designers including architects, interior designers, and artists (for a full list, check out their facebook page) had turned unexpected things into masterpieces! I enjoy coming out to these events and being surrounded with inovative people who appreciate the beauty of art. I myself recently enjoyed renovating an old table which I named a Plastik Table. Check out some of my favorite pieces below!

This is a chest (coffre) ... Do I need to say anything else? ;)

A Ghandour biscuit table (left) Bon Jus and Coca Cola (right)

you will never guess what the stools on the left are made of!...the thing that turns in a washing machine!! (left) The display on the window by Lara Khoury (whom I interviewed last week) Old wine boxes with staples of Lebanese heritage inside them...(right)

 It's good to see this concept of recycling being reflected through Art in Beirut...They always said one person's trash is another person's treasure. I though maybe they should've made something with car wheels, the infamous "Douleb" could be used for more than cars, swings, keeping away mosquitoes or ....in the case of Lebanon...blocking roads. At least instead of causing more unnecessary pollution, we can be doing something good for the ever-suffering environment of Lebanon. Nevertheless, this makes me want to look around my house for old things I can renovate and make beautiful!

To see the full list of designers, dates and the location, check out the Trashy Treasures event page... but there's alot more to see than the photos above! Make sure to check it out in person, and have yourself a delicious cocktail courtesy of Dictateur's bartender :)

"Varbed Createur" dans la Maison Rose called Badguer

"BADGUÈR is the Artisan's locale, a meeting place where young designers and artisans, passionate about art and culture can testify the living cultural heritage of Bourj Hammoud and its inhabitants.”

La Maison Rose in Bourj Hammoud

Following the first genocide of the 20^th century, a large part of the Armenian population settled down in Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon. Low income housing, poor living conditions, they all came with the package of a thing called war and injustice. Over the decades, these strong minded people rose back to the top and introduced their unique heritage to a country ravaged by war itself. Long gone are the days when Armenian youths had to guard their streets during the night and risk their lives for the safety of their families and the elderly who had already survived a genocide to say the least. Although they left their treasures behind, buried in the ground, forever irretrievable; there is one thing that has stayed and will stay with them forever, and that’s culture. Armenian artisans and craftsman have now made a home for themselves in this humble location. Leather, bronze, silver, jewelry, textile, embroidery and traditional cuisine are but a few fields in which these people have excelled and passed on their skills to a new generation who isn’t afraid of artistic expression.

La Maison Rose (the pink house) stands inside one of the buzzing streets. The house isn’t difficult to notice, thanks to its beautiful architecture, color and the sound of a piano playing inside which easily draws you towards it. Each room is dedicated to a certain type of art, with the Varbed Createur on standby for any questions or discussions. Varbed is translated from Armenian as “professional” and “createur” is translated from French as creator, or maker of things. As the name of the launch event states, each artist is a professional at what he/she does, a master of creation.

First stop, is Hrag Pailian from Pailiani Design, a shoe designer whose work easily caught my eye.  From the bright red platforms, to the yellow suede. From the crystal heels to the immaculately engraved fabrics…From the second I saw the shoes, I knew we’d have a love affair. The shoes and I, that is. Instantly we made a connection and I got to try them on. It was a match made in shoe heaven.

Hrag Pailian's colorful sketches and samples

“I do, I do!”  *tear*

“I never thought this day would come.”  My skinny feet had always been the twin sisters, but on this day, they were Cinderella. Ideal for Italian size shoes, which brings me to the next fun fact: After comparing his style to that of Guiseppe Zanotti’s, he confirmed my observation. He is a former Zanotti intern who studied shoe design in Italy! Of course, shoe making is a popular Armenian craft that is passed on over the generations. Almost 2 out of 3 Armenian families have some kind of shoe making history. Hence, the extensive use of shoes for smacking naughty kids. Easily repairable.

After chit chatting for a while, I convinced Hrag to collaborate with me on a photoshoot since he didn’t have promotional material yet for his work and was looking for exposure. The shoot was a success, which I’ll share with you in a later post. (check my facebook group for a teaser)

Moving on to the second floor, another designer caught my eye; MissakHaji Avedikian. Since the world is so small, his name sounded familiar. A new friend in Saudi had mentioned his sister being friends with Missak, but other than that, I had seen him somewhere before. “You’ve changed a lot!” He says to me. Aha, it clicks. I saw him in Krikor Jabotian’s Atelier where I temporarily worked in the winter. Anyway, so he was hard at work on an Emerald green dress with a corset. I wonder how that would look on me. I guess we’ll have to find out on Saturday when I pay a visit to his Atelier, and get to be Cinderella for one more day!

Fashion Designer Missak Haji-Avedikian

Last but not least, I met Nareg D.B, the photographer whom I first saw being interviewed on a talk show called Bi Beirut. He spoke about Badguer and the upcoming launch...luckily for me we had a mutual friend so I got in touch with him before the launch in hopes that he would collaborate with me. His fortay is street photography and he's part of the Beirut Street Photographers group. If I were to tell a story about his photos, I'de say this:  "You pass by a local shop in Bourj Hammoud, selling colored spices aligned on the sidewalk giving off an unbelievable aura...while the whole place is buzzing and alive...an old man sits on his chair. Barely visible to passerbys who are preoccupied by the chaos around them. To him, this street is his home. It's where his parents settled after the genocide. It's where he was born. Where he rode his bicycle for the first time. Where he walked to school everyday and where he barely missed the fatal remnants of a missile. This is where he found love, and where he lost it. This is where his children got married. This is the place they abandoned. This is where they left him...sitting on his chair." And this is the part where I have a small tear rolling down my face, as I look at this photo, I see my own grandfather. I'm sure many Armenians can relate to this feeling.
The stories in Nareg's portraits are drawn with the thin lines covering the faces, each crease representing a different struggle. However, other than portraits, he captures everyday moments which is what makes his photography so genuine.

Clearly, I had make a connection with this guy. I had to make him a part of this blog. And, I did. :) Soon, you will discover how.

Nareg D.B. with his photos

The house is a very unique concept that motivates the preservation of art and culture. Its doors are wide open, and the atmosphere is highly welcoming. After the launch day, BADGUER will serve as an ongoing promotional center and space for artisans and creativity.

Don’t forget to pay La Maison Rose a visit, and check out the Badguer website!

When Lebanese Folkloric Pop lights up the city, who needs Kahraba?

           A couple of months ago I received a random facebook message from an old friend...you know the one that makes you smile from ear to ear...and overwhelms you with a rush of blissful nostalgia....
In this message he described a sweet memory that came to mind as he found an old worn out folder in his bedroom while cleaning it up. In this folder there were old sheets of paper with lyrics on them and cassette tapes (remember those?) with recordings of my songs - completely out of tune - which made him laugh alot. And so the first time he actually thought about doing music was apparently a teenage version of me, sitting next to him on a random swing in my compound in Saudi, proposing we put some melody to my lyrics...
We were little birds who longed to fly...locked inside this cage called "Saudi." But with the little resources that we had, we managed to make music a part of our lives. There was a fiery lust for self-expression burning inside of us. I loved dancing, writing lyrics and singing, he loved playing the keyboards and singing. I always thought he had a unique, distinguished voice...whose power we were unaware of at the time...

ADONIS performing @ DICTATEUR

His name is Anthony.
He is now the lead singer of a hip Lebanese folkloric pop band called Adonis and a gifted architect by the way.
The Band includes Joey Abou Jawdeh on the guitar, Fabio Khoury on the bass guitar, and Nicola Hakim on the drums.
Last night I attended a mini-concert celebrating the video premiere of the band's song called "Ma kan mafrood" In English: It shouldn't have been.
What they did?
They brought to life a different kind of appreciation for Arabic music amongst the most hopeless of all.
Catering to a diverse crowd, they've also managed to attract that cynical, artsy youth of Lebanon who are more difficult to please. That daring, alternative crowd of Beirut that repels anything remotely commercial and celebrates individuality among one of the most conformist societies. *Sigh* Amen to that!

Spotted: 
Me, standing right at the front, looking like a groupie.
What an exhilarating feeling it is to stand there and take in a friend's accomplishment. Literally be proud of someone from the bottom of your heart for having followed their dreams. I couldn't stop smiling, I started having face spasms. No joke. That tends to happen to me alot.
What beautiful lyrics.
What beautiful melodies. And is that a Ukelele?? I'm floating in the air right now. And I'm completely sober.
People you would usually spot at a rave are here singing along to those light-hearted, yet moving lyrics, which happen to be inspired by their daily lives in this city. They strike a cord with every single person who has experienced living here.
Beirut, the inspiration behind every word, every note, every smile, every clap and every cheer.

Strings of small colored lightbulbs light up the small stage, reminding me of the electricity cables that criss cross over some parts of the city like disoriented spiderwebs.
If only we could envision those lightbulbs dangling from them....
And, as it were a page in a children's coloring book, we could use music to color this city.
Like Adonis has. 

Intrigued? Then, check them out!
Adonis Facebook page (Where you can listen to some of their awesome songs!)
Adonis Website (The new video will be available to watch online very soon)

My creations: "A Plastik Table"

I've decided to add a little funk to my living space by refurbishing old furniture and turning it into pop art. I used  Plastik Magazine, a visual magazine published in Lebanon, known for its eccentricity and out-of-the-box fashion photography. It isn't difficult to put together images from those magazines and have them synchronize and tell a story. Never would I have imagined what a therapeutic project this would turn out to be. Through this I've discovered the concept of art therapy: It helps you acquire patience, train your mind to focus, and experience a sense of accomplishment. What a reward!

Here's a Before and after look at the table:

Covered in Plexi glass for better use

Stick around to see more of My Creations...and get inspired to create your own!
Bon Appetit! :)