Main Gate Magazine
American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Spring 2006 Vol. IV, No. 3

A Journey from Geology to Iconography

Lena Kelekian’s (BS ’81) exceptional career has been a journey of
faith coupled with perseverance and passion. This internationally
acclaimed artist, iconographer, muralist, restorer, conservator,
environmental designer, and geologist believes that prayer and food
must provide equal sustenance for the fulfillment of the body.

It was an inspirational incident that drove her to iconography. "I
knew about icons from my family. My mother’s prayers that helped me
overcome an ordeal during the civil war turned me into a true
believer," says Kelekian.

With her scientific background, artistic talent, and faith, Kelekian
decided that "nothing will stop her" from expressing her beliefs
through iconography. "After I graduated from AUB in 1981…I chose to
attend the University of London where I studied restoration and
painting. Later I trained in many places all over Europe."

"I was part of the team that restored the frescoes of the Duomo of
Florence. I was the pigment expert on a team of ten working under the
supervision of Giorgio Mathieni. I painted in Greece, Spain,
Portugal, Yugoslavia, and in the Macedonian area where I restored
frescoes at medieval churches."

The distinctive feature of Kelekian’s iconography is her use of
traditional Byzantine methods and natural pigments. As a geologist,
Kelekian learned how to extract colors from minerals.
"I rediscovered 89 mineral-extracted colors, and discovered a few
types of green and yellow." In keeping with Byzantine methods, she
paints her icons in an egg tempera (the egg being the biblical symbol
of life and fertility) and embellishes the gold or silver backgrounds
with precious and semi-precious stones and pearls.

Despite the technical knowledge that enabled her to restore and
create religious art, Kelekian felt something was missing. "My faith
needed to be corroborated with the proper theological knowledge. I
decided to study theology." She earned a Doctorate of Theological
Studies from the Institut Superieur pour la Formation Religieuse.
"When I learned about the history of the church and the unwavering
faith of the early believers despite the torments they underwent, my
perception of religious art changed. Now, I paint the same religious
figures knowing their life story…"

Kelekian and her sister Hilda, a calligrapher and arabesque designer,
held their first exhibit in 1992 at the Salon des Artistes in Beirut.
The ensuing media coverage led to requests to exhibit their work at
galleries around the world.

Kelekian has won numerous medals and awards. "Italy gave me the title
of ‘Lady’ for my achievements in the fields of arts and sciences."
She has been honored with more than 12 international awards including
France’s La Toile d’Or, and appointed ordinary academician by the
Accademia Internazionale Greci Marino, Italy. She has exhibited in
nine countries. Eight museums around the world have purchased her
artwork, as has Queen Sophia of Spain. In 2001, the sisters launched
the Kelekian Art Gallery during New York’s International Art Expo,
where they exhibited their work for two weeks. Currently, Kelekian’s
art studio and laboratory are located in Zalka, Lebanon.

Representing Lebanon around the world was an honor, but it wasn’t
enough. She wanted to help her country in a more tangible way. The
opportunity came in 1997, when she participated in a contest to
decorate the wall of a 500-meter long tunnel in Ashrafieh, Beirut.
She won the contest with her design in the trencadis Antoni Gaudi
mosaic style, depicting 500 trees of different dimensions ranging
between three and 75 meters.

"Afterwards, I went in 1997 to Barcelona to learn about ceramics and
mosaics…. because I had to get the X, Y, and the Z axes [three
dimensional perspective] of things. One should aim at the deep roots
of things and then try to blossom. What results is an authentic and
long lasting product," she says.

"Upon returning to Lebanon, I thought that something ought to be done
to embellish the Corniche; the only way to do this is through
ceramics and mosaics." She embarked on the project of installing
ceramic benches and a large mosaic chessboard. "I hope that these
ceramic benches will attract millions of tourists to Ain Mreisseh,
Beirut as they do in Barcelona," says Kelekian. When asked about the
concept behind the ongoing project on the Corniche, Kelekian says,
"my idea was to narrate the myth of Zeus and Europa on the benches,
thus showing the West that Phoenicians gave the name of Europa to
Europe…The project is a gift from me to Beirut, and I hope it
flourishes to be a landmark."

Kelekian hopes to embellish many parts of Beirut. She has already
designed and executed cartoons in a public garden in the Naba’a area
that turned the place from a dump into an attractive spot for
children from the area. "I try to use art in service of the
underprivileged community. Also, to raise environmental awareness
about the ailing Beirut River, I designed a facade of ceramics on its
banks."

When her sister delivered triplets in 2003, Kelekian decided to
experiment in a different direction: children’s art and cartoons.
"Last year, I was asked to furnish and paint the floors of the
Clemenceau Medical Center-Johns Hopkins with whatever suits the
ambience. For the pediatric section, I designed animal and insect
cartoons. I hope to offer the St. Jude Children’s Cancer Center of
Lebanon (CCCL) some of those paintings."

CCCL will not be her only contribution to AUB. Kelekian and her
architect husband Hagop Silahian (BE ’85), hope to place ceramic
benches and facades of their own design on the AUB campus.

There seems to be no end to Kelekian’s talent-or her interests. Her
art will continue to celebrate her passion for her country and her
faith for years to come.

The distinctive feature of Kelekian’s iconography is her use of
traditional Byzantine methods and natural pigments. As a geologist,
Kelekian learned how to extract colors from minerals. "I rediscovered
89 mineral-extracted colors, and discovered a few types of green and
yellow."

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