Born in Damascus in 1942, Simone Fattal studied philosophy in
Paris and Beirut before emigrating to California in 1980 during the Lebanese Civil War. She soon established herself as a painter and sculptor, as well as the founder of the publishing house “PostApollo Press” dedicated to experimental literature. Working with
multiple mediums, Fattal is best known for her standing ceramic figures, notable for their elephantine legs and clunky form. Fattal’s
work explores the duality of feminine/masculine. She takes it upon herself to uncover buried history through her handling of clay, which results in large-scale sculptures. Renowned Lebanese visual artist and poet Etal Adnan – who met Fattal in the 1970s – has written about their friendship with great intricacy. Fattal has been exhibited internationally: at the New Museum, New York; the Sharjah Art Foundation, United Arab Emirates; Cité des Arts, Paris; Bonnefanten Museum, The Netherlands, and the Beirut Art Centre, Lebanon. In 2013 she released a film titled “Autoportrait” screened at international festivals.
