There is something new in Montreal. It is a mesmerizing Lebanese talent that sprinkles oriental magic dust in front of the Consulate General of Lebanon in Montreal. It makes pedestrians open their eyes wide with bewilderment and vehicles abruptly slow down.
Indeed, since November 4th, 2016, an impressive and majestic five meter sculpture, designed and realized by the Lebanese-born artist Joe Jbeily, has been on display.
The Consul General of Lebanon in Montreal, his Excellency Fadi Ziadeh, organized the event and unveiled the piece of art. It brought together prestigious guests and allowed the artist to present a range of artworks, in different sizes and colors at the Consulate General of Lebanon.
The impressive sculpture, donated by the artist, was conceived to mark the 50th anniversary of the Lebanese consular presence in Quebec. It represents a Lebanese folk dancer holding his head high with pride and captured in a beautiful movement. Monumental and majestic, made from fiberglass and covered with copper and bronze, it invites visitors to enter the eastern magic and get carried away by the joyous steps of the traditional dance of Lebanon. It is also intended to be rooted in the city’s heritage.
While working on this piece, Jbeily admits digging back into his memories for the rhythms that have cradled his childhood. Addabic is indeed an heir to Lebanese traditions. It is also an artwork that reconciles the one who left his native country with the one who chose another HOMEland.
Born in Lebanon, Joe Jbeily has called Canada HOME for over 40 years. His love affair with art began while studying art and sociology. However, despite his numerous business projects and diverse interests, sculpture remained an unwavering passion. In the past ten years, Jbeily has become dedicated to it in a very active way, sparking a fertile talent that expresses itself through a wide number of sculptures in a variety of styles and processes. Allying a personal technique which consists of intertwined steel cables in a variety of woods, his purpose is to create vibrant art whose message transcends the material.
Joe Jbeily reveals: “My challenge is to transcend the emotion which lives in the human soul.” Undoubtedly, the figurative representation is beautiful and the illusion is stunning: Addabic is dancing the Dabke in Montreal! The artist also confides: “After more than ten hours of sculpting, my fingers are often stiff with pain and my limbs are aching. However finding Addabic looking at me, my weariness and pain vanish as if by magic.”
Beyond the magnificently cut piece, the strength of the artist lies in his capacity to surprise us. His Addabic is vibrating with the vital force of his native Levantine country and deeply rooted in the soil of his adopted country.
Joe Jbeily has already produced hundreds of works in exotic wood, bronze and stone that rival in beauty and harmony. Besides having exhibited in several cities in Europe and America, Joe Jbeily is a recipient of various awards:
- Recognition for participation in the Sculpture Symposium “Star Walker” Lac-Mégantic, September 2014.
- Special Award 2011 for the SNBA sculptures in the exhibition at the Louvre, Paris, France.
If you ever pass by the Consulate General of Lebanon in Montreal, be careful, you might discern the beautiful rhythm of a Dal Ouna song as the Addabic is rhythmically and cheerfully hopping. It might take you along a joyous and typically Lebanese dance in the heart of Canada.
“Donating this sculpture to the Lebanese Consulate General in Montreal has a double value for me. It allows me to honor my Lebanese roots and to pay tribute to my adopted city, Montreal.” Joe Jbeily, sculptor
