15 Facts About Wahbi al-Hariri

Wahbi al-Hariri-Rifai was a Syrian American artist.

Wahbi al-Hariri's artwork has garnered international recognition and praise both in his lifetime and posthumously.

Wahbi al-Hariri has been recognized as a significant Middle Eastern cultural pioneer for his role in the "establishment of the foundations of the Plastic arts movement" in the Levant and for mentoring many important Arab artists.

Wahbi al-Hariri's documented family tree spans over fourteen centuries and lists several notable ancestors including Al-Hariri of Basra, the 11th-century poet, philosopher, and linguist known for authoring the Maqamat al-Hariri; Ali al-Hariri-Rifa'i, the 13th-century Sufi theologian known for founding the Syrian Rifai order; Mustapha al-Hariri-Rifai, the 18th-century composer and theologian; and Abdelrahman al-Hariri-Rifai the 19th-century calligrapher and astronomer.

Wahbi al-Hariri began drawing and sculpting as a child and had "inherent artistic talent and a consuming interest in the world around him".

In Rome, Wahbi al-Hariri trained under Carlo Siviero, a prominent Academic artist.

Wahbi al-Hariri taught periodic academy-style classes at his atelier, and organized and held gallery exhibitions with other Aleppine artists.

In 1954 Wahbi al-Hariri received his architectural DPLG with honors and was awarded the highly coveted Prix du Meilleur Diplome by the Societe des Architectes Diplomes par le Gouvernement.

In 1962 Wahbi al-Hariri won an important commission to renovate the historic Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque, in Homs, and design its surrounding plaza.

Wahbi al-Hariri's design made allowance for future growth and has informed the university's expansions over the years.

Washington Post critic Benjamin Forgey, whose full-length feature of Wahbi al-Hariri's exhibit ran on 22 October 1984, writes that:.

The finished collection, completed with the help of Wahbi al-Hariri's son, was ultimately assembled posthumously in 1994 and was named The Spiritual Edifices of Islam as per the artist's wishes.

Wahbi al-Hariri's work is meaningful to and understood by all peoples at different periods and regios, and in different cultural and ethnic traditions.

Wahbi al-Hariri's compositions are masterful and harmoniously balance the fills and voids.

The retrospective collection spans a sixty-year period and includes a special selection of works that Wahbi al-Hariri completed in Canada, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.