Baalbek 1959  

Oil painting on linen, 50.8 cm x 50.8 cm (20 in x 20 in), 1999

On the surface this work draws from Maroun Tomb’s lost landscape paintings, as Bittar’s work captures an intimate moment at the ancient Lebanese ruins of Baalbek in 1959 when her mother was pregnant with her. Her father had hidden his Palestinian identity for decades, later revealing that Bittar’s grandfather had been born in Yaffa. Between embellished legends, lore, and secrets each generation adapts these stories to serve the needs of the time and takes ownership of the family history. Baalbek 1959 is part of the Lebanese Linen series of paintings based on Bittar’s archival family slides spanning the civil war era of Lebanon (1975-1992) when her family was at the precipice of radical change. The painting itself stands for these narratives, but also carries with it a history of loss — and recollection. The painting had actually been in the custody of her late mother, was passed onto her late brother Tony, thought to be lost, and finally found again in Tony’s home with his wife after his passing. For the artist, it symbolizes a rightful return and pays homage to her brother who lovingly cared for her mother in her last days, preserving the family narrative and iconic image of Bittar’s parents.

Doris Bittar is an award-winning artist, writer, educator, and community organizer living and working in Southern California. Thematically, her paintings and projects often link cultural patterns– which she describes as cultural DNA– to migration crossing political boundaries. Bittar’s textured and improvisational paintings from this period reach back into personal history and are anchored within the haze of colonial legacies. Her art is housed in international museum collections and she is the first Arab American California Arts Council Legacy Artist. Bittar has taught for 25 years in several American universities and international institutions and has authored a number of scholarly essays and opinion pieces.