Zena el Khalil, Like Two Peas in a Pod, 2007

Mixed media
28 x 28 x 4 cm
Condition: Very good
Proof of purchase available

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As a cultural worker, I used to organise international touring exhibitions. Inevitably I get fascinated by some artists and end up acquiring their works for my personal collection. 

In 2011, I really wanted a work from Zena el Khalil’s “flyer” series and acquired this work from her gallery in Munich (the Euro was so much stronger then) I also asked Zena for her inspiration behind the piece. The following is extracted from her email to me on 31 March 2011: 

“Two Peas is a really funny piece... and it was made with a lot of tenderness… In Beirut, there are a lot of political posters on the streets... stencils of martyrs, politicians, militia leaders, etc… Right next to my studio, there is a small neighborhood where a lot of former militiamen live… When I walk past them on my way to work, I always feel humiliated. They call out names and say silly sexist remarks… In this corner where they always sit, there is a.. stencil painting of [Ayatollah Khoumayni and Sayed Musa Al Sadr] One day I took a picture of this painting and then transferred it into a painting. I started decorating it with pink and fur to sort of win myself over these "macho men" that annoy me everyday. This is the tendency I have with most of my work. I take objects or events that are violent and transform them into something docile and harmless. I take something overly masculine and tone it down with my touch, a woman's touch… Now they can't hurt me anymore.

This piece is now very special because a few months ago, that corner of the neighbourhood was torn down. They are going to build a huge high rise building (as the case with most of Beirut). I no longer see the guys who used to tease me. And the painting on the wall no longer exists… Now [this painting] it's part of my personal history as well as the visual history of my city... slowly disappearing, like the memories of the war.”

I have decided to bid farewell to most of my art collection because I will be renovating my apartment and switching to a minimalist lifestyle. The memories of journeying with the artists will always remain with me but it is time for someone else to enjoy their creative output.

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Through irony and humour, and the juxtaposition of materials and images, Zena el Khalil's (Lebanese, b. 1976) works present a wry commentary on the politics of her geographic region and the bizarre bedlam of modern Lebanese society.

El Khalil holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the NYC School of Visual Arts, has spoken at the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo, held several TED talks and her memoir “Beirut, I Love You” has been translated into numerous languages. Her blog during the Lebanon war in 2006 was published by the BBC, CNN, the New York Times and the Guardian. Her works have been exhibited internationally in multiple prestigious locations.

(Photographed in January 2025)