A Window to the Soul: Kahlil Gibran exhibition opens at Sharjah's House of Wisdom

The show features artist's previously unseen works and a selection of personal belongings

An exhibition dedicated to renowned Lebanese poet and artist Gibran Khalil Gibran has opened at Sharjah’s House of Wisdom.

Inaugurated on Sunday by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, the show, titled A Window to the Soul: Gibran Khalil Gibran, celebrates the artist's practice, showcasing 34 of his original works.

Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi inaugurates the exhibition 'A Window to the Soul: Gibran Khalil Gibran'. Photo: Wam

Born in Bsharri during the Ottoman Empire in 1883, the artist, more famously known as Kahlil Gibran, moved to the United States with his family at an early age. He began exhibiting his drawings in 1904, while also pursuing literary interests that led to the publication of his first book in Arabic in 1905.

The exhibition is divided into thematic categories: A Window; Connections: Roots and Branches; Formation; Study: Faces; Medium: Red Chalk; Method: Perspective; and, finally, The Soul.

Among the highlights in A Window to the Soul are 15 never-before-seen works, displayed alongside the artist’s oil and gauche, and watercolour works, as well as his charcoal sketches.

There are also a number of Gibran’s personal belongings on display, including four manuscript notebooks, a watercolour set and an easel.

The galley proof and plate proof of his most well-known book, The Prophet, are also on view. The Lebanese-American poet published the collection of prose poetry fables in 1923, and the title has not been out of print since.

In his writing, Gibran often explores ideas of mysticism, but also of natural beauty and its place in a modernising world. He died in New York City in 1931, at the age of 48.

Presented in partnership with Gibran National Committee and the Gibran Museum, the show is also sponsored by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and supported by the Barjeel Art Foundation.

A Window to the Soul: Gibran Khalil Gibran is on view until Thursday, January 6.

More information is at houseofwisdom.ae