Salalem

By Lamia Fakhoury

Exploring the the vast symbolism and possibilities born of juxtaposing a practical object and its relationship to the human form, Lamia Fakhoury created this collection of Steel & cast-iron sculptures that is playful in its execution and impressive in its masterful simplicity.

Ladders take on varied contextual significance in this collection, as positioned in relation to an androgynous human figure immediately evoke hugely different characters and situations. Ladders can be surreal links to another world, symbols of social mobility, tools of labor, or impediments in and of themselves as in the colloquial saying, “carrying a ladder lengthwise”.

A strict purist, Fakhoury insists on designing, moulding, casting, pouring, cleaning, and finishing each piece herself— a true feat, as she is one of the only sculptors in the world to manually complete her entire process from start to finish. The process was born out of necessity in an environment where outsourcing the labor was not an option. Seen in this light, the sculptures reflect and refract different elements of her process and personality— from fantasy to frustration, playfulness and profundity.