Arleb by Nabad interviews interior designer and visual artist Toufic Melhem.

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

Toufic Melhem – When I was studying at the university, I discovered that the minimal art is my first inspiration. Also, many artists influenced my work like Alexander Calder, Georges Rickey, Mondrian, and Picasso.

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

Toufic Melhem – I’m working on what defines movements in a simple and tricky way.

Arleb by Nabad – What is your creative process like? 

Toufic Melhem – My creative process is to sculpt as if I’m drawing with a simple angle in order to create a three dimensional structure.

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

Toufic Melhem – The Beirut port explosions pushed me to improve my art, and made me realize that art can outlive a human being. My studio was completely destroyed but my artworks are still alive, especially through the interaction of my new work between silhouettes and the outside, like as if through my sculpture I can define a new world.

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

Toufic Melhem – Through my studies, I began to realize the extent of the importance of arts in changing thought, civilization, community development, and expression in creating a new aesthetic that is difficult for one to discover easily. So the role of art is related to defining the next generation and our future.

Arleb by Nabad – What are, according to you, the main challenges/obstacles facing artists/creative enterprises in Lebanon nowadays? 

Toufic Melhem – In my opinion, the biggest problem is that the local investors don’t invest in our local arts; they invest in international art.

CHECK OUT TOUFIC MELHEM PROFILE AND ARTWORKS FOR SALE ON ARLEB.