Farid el rayes

Farid El Rayes (1934 - 2013) is a Lebanese-born artist and engineer whose multidisciplinary background bridges fine arts and structural innovation. A graduate of the American University of Beirut (AUB) School of Engineering (1959), Farid developed a parallel passion for the arts, studying etching and participating in his first group exhibition at AUB in 1957.

Between 1959 and 1962, he received a scholarship from the French government, allowing him to pursue advanced studies in architecture and structure at the École des Beaux-Arts and to freely attend the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. These formative years in Paris helped shape his unique visual language—rooted in structure yet expressive and emotionally resonant.

Deeply moved by the impressionist masters, he was equally inspired by the flowing elegance of Islamic art. This fusion of traditions emerged vividly in his series Hommage à Wasiti, a tribute to the 13th-century Iraqi painter Yahya Al-Wasiti. Across much of his oeuvre, abstract forms echo Arabic calligraphy, intertwining cultural memory with visual experimentation.

Farid participated in several exhibitions world-wide. He was hosted by Institute of the Arab World in France,  Arts International Fair in the USA, as well as in the AUB School of Engineering, Kobey Festival in Beitedine Palace, and Carlton Hotel in Lebanon.

In his final years, Farid faced the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Yet, even as his cognitive and physical abilities declined, he continued to paint. His later works became a haunting yet beautiful testament to the enduring power of artistic expression.

 
Farid’s paintings are part of numerous private collections across the world, including Geneva, Bern, and Basel in Switzerland; Washington, Los Angeles, and New York in the United States; Rio de Janeiro in Brazil; Montreal in Canada; as well as in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon in the Arab world.  

Today, the El Rayes family remains committed to preserving Farid’s artistic legacy  and fostering its presence within the contemporary art world.