Born in 1946 in Lebanon, Choukini has lived and worked in France for many years. He trained at the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1967 to 1972. In 1984, he enriched this initial training with a trip to Japan, which left a lasting impression on him both technically and in terms of form and surface. The discovery of new tools and traditional Japanese techniques allowed him to achieve results that were very different from those he had obtained until then.
He taught sculpture at the Lebanese University in Tripoli from 1985 to 1987, and then at Yarmouk University in Jordan from 1989 to 1991.
Chaouki Choukini's sculptures, whether in wood (his favored material) or in bronze, reflect a distinctive aesthetic where abstraction often gives way to dreamlike details that evoke, if not the real world, at least a more tangible one. The surfaces play on contrasts between very smooth, polished areas and more dynamic or rugged details. The balance between solid and empty spaces is masterfully controlled, and the whole conveys a sense of great delicacy, even poetry.
Chaouki Choukini was awarded the Young Sculpture Prize in 1978, the Taylor Foundation Prize in 2010, and in 2015, the Académie des Beaux-Arts presented him with the Pierre Gianadda Sculpture Prize for his body of work. His works are held in public collections in France, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
05 April - 25 August 2024
Paris , France
The Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris invites us to rediscover the diversity of Arab modernities in the 20th century and to renew our historical perspective on artistic scenes that are still little known in Europe. Through a selection of more than 200 works, most of which have never been exhibited in France, the exhibition “Présences arabes – Art moderne et décolonisation – Paris 1908-1988” highlights the relationship between Arab artists and Paris throughout the 20th century.
