Arleb by Nabad interviews interior designer and visual artist Gilbert Loutfi who strongly believes in art constituting a distinctive means of communication, allowing for dialogues in formal, informal and culturally plural contexts within society. Art indeed opens windows to experiencing and understanding social interactions, and especially in a wounded country such as Lebanon. 

Arleb by Nabad – Tell us about your background.

Gilbert Loutfi – I was born and raised in Lebanon. I studied interior design and fine arts at the Lebanese University Institute of Fine Arts. I made a career in architecture and design, and I developed skills and passion for fine arts such as painting and sculpture. 

Arleb by Nabad –  What is the experience that has influenced your work the most? 

Gilbert Loutfi – Mainly wars and hardships since the 1980s, and until the present day. Art was and still is the only escape from a harsh reality.  

Arleb by Nabad – Which subjects or themes are you working on? 

Gilbert Loutfi – Humanity, landscapes…

Arleb by Nabad – What is your creative process like? 

Gilbert Loutfi – It begins with ideas, then a selection of a specific idea, its execution and the final result.

Arleb by Nabad – What was the impact of the Beirut port explosions (August 4, 2020) on your work as an artist/creative enterprise? 

Gilbert Loutfi – I worked on a series of sculptures with the theme “wounded but not broken”.

Arleb by Nabad – What are, according to you, the roles of arts and culture in social, economic, environmental or political change? 

Gilbert Loutfi – Unfortunately, art has become secondary in people’s everyday life, and transmitting ideas is getting more difficult in a crowded world and with the new technologies. Our current situation is not like the old times where art was the only way of expression and communication. 

Arleb by Nabad – Indeed, longstanding sites of artistic production, consumption and display are being contested by new forces, and the various forms of contestation have given rise to new art forms and venues. These changes/cultural flows per se are definitely a challenge. What about other challenges facing artists/creative enterprises in Lebanon nowadays?

Gilbert Loutfi – Simply put, politics, and the economic crisis.

CHECK OUT GILBERT LOUTFI PROFILE AND ARTWORKS FOR SALE ON ARLEB.