Youssef Hoyek (Lebanon, 1883-1962)


Ascension plaster signed and dated "1944" on baseheight: 47cm
|Provenance:Property from the collection of Georges El-Zeenny, BeirutThence by descent to the present owner, London"The soul is a heavenly flower that cannot live in the shade." letter from Kahlil Gibran to Youssef Hoyek"Youssef Hoyek's father, Saadallah Howayek, was a Councillor elected into the Ottoman Mutasarref's (Governor) Administrative Council. His grandfather was the village priest and his uncle was the Patriarch Howayek.Hoyek first traveled to Rome and studied classical art. He later moved to Paris to join Kahlil Gibran who had come from the other side of the Atlantic. Gibran and Hoyek had known each other from Lebanon, and became closer friends in Paris being from the same part of the world and the same age. They also had the same passion for painting and sculpture, studying art with Auguste Rodin for two years (1909 and 1910). Amin Rihani joined them in Paris for a short while. Soon after Hoyek discovered that he preferred sculpture to painting. When he returned to Lebanon in 1939, Hoyek devoted his time and creativity to sculpting. He formed a small clique with two of his contemporaries, Youssef Gossoub and Halim Hajje. All three remained traditionalists in their field, influenced by the classical masters of Europe . Hoyek employed the "cast" and relief technique as his favorite means of expression, and the solemnity and grace of his compositions can be almost interpreted as the figures of Kahlil Gibran transformed into sculpture.