Art & Statues
Bibi Zogbé Artist Cactus Painting Original
Original cactus painting by Bibi Zogbé (1890–1973), is a beautiful painting with strong deep colors depicting a stylized cactus growing wild in nature. She was a pioneering Lebanese-born painter who built her career in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and earned acclaim for her bold, symbolic depictions of wild flora. Nicknamed La Pintura de Flores—“the flower painter”—Zogbé’s distinctive visual language elevated still lifes into emotionally charged and culturally resonant statements. Her compositions, often centered on untamed, vibrant blooms, transcended traditional botanical studies and instead conveyed deeper themes of identity, memory, and diaspora. In addition to her floral subjects, she produced powerful portraits that reflected her cosmopolitan worldview.
Zogbé’s artistic journey was as international as her influences. While based in Argentina, she traveled extensively, painting and exhibiting in cities such as Paris, Dakar, Beirut, Santiago, Rio de Janeiro, and Havana. She began exhibiting her work in Argentina in the early 1930s, with her first solo show held at the Whitcomb Gallery in Buenos Aires in 1934.This was followed by a 1935 exhibition at the prestigious Galerie Charpentier in Paris and later shows throughout Latin America. Her richly textured oil paintings reflected the interplay of European movements—French Impressionism, Spanish Modernism, and German Expressionism—that shaped Lebanese art of the time, yet her work always retained a singular, deeply personal voice.
In 1947, Zogbé returned to Beirut for an extended period, where her contributions to modern art were officially recognized. The Lebanese government supported her visibility through publications celebrating her achievements, alongside other key artists of the time. She held a major solo exhibition at the Cénacle Libanais, a revered intellectual salon that brought together Lebanon’s leading writers, artists, and thinkers. Although underrecognized in her lifetime, Zogbé’s legacy has since gained renewed scholarly and curatorial attention, positioning her as a vital figure in the narrative of 20th-century Arab and Lebanese modernism—and a rare woman’s voice in an era and region often dominated by male artists.
