Michèle Assaf Kamel

B. 1948, Beirut

Michèle Assaf Kamel initially studied law, but her true passion has always been ceramics. Prior to dedicating herself to ceramics, she explored various artistic disciplines, attended art history classes, and participated in workshops in Beirut, London, and Paris. She learned from prominent artists such as Helda Scamanga, Dorothy Salhab Kazemi, Nuha El Radi in Beirut, as well as Annie Fommanoir, Helena Klug, and Christine Mckirdy in Paris, which influenced the development of her distinctive style.

She established her own studio in Beirut, where she now teaches ceramics classes. Her creations serve as a means to convey her complex emotions towards her homeland, her interactions with others, her sense of dependency, and the power of language. She often contemplates the significance of words, employing them to challenge the contradictions and dynamics of modern society, navigating the fine line between denial and a longing for a sense of belonging.

Kamel's artworks have been showcased in prestigious galleries, including Galerie Tanit, the Sursock Museum, the Mouawad Museum, and Espace SD. Her works have been featured in a private exhibition at the Lebanese Office of Tourism in Paris.

About her Work

Kamel follows an intuitive logic that she experiences rather than explains. Her sculptures, initially resembling building blocks, serve as an exploration of otherness, the process of understanding others, and the potential for existence with or without them.

Driven by her connection to her homeland, Kamel creates unconventional and thought-provoking sculptures that embody the longing for a new world and the unexplored territories that lie just beyond reach.

As an artist who enjoys drawing, she devotes many hours to sketching before fully embracing an idea or concept. She describes her creative process as a reflection and a montage of thoughts coming together.

Most of Kamel's sculptures are fired at stoneware temperatures, reaching 1280°C. Some are fired at medium temperatures to evoke the color of bricks, a building material. She consistently works with Lebanese clay, utilizing both chamotte clay, which contains pre-fired pieces to prevent cracks and breakage during firing, and non-chamotte clay, which provides a smooth finish.

May Ammoun

Nabil Basbous