Conceived in 1973 and enlarged in 2014.

Beirut-born Saloua Raouda Choucair paved her way in the mid-twentieth century, solidifying herself as the first true Lebanese abstract modern artist. Leading Modernity in the Arab world as a woman, Choucair’s work stands as a testament to her relationship with her upbringing. Although she studied under Fernand Léger in Paris between 1948 and 1952, Choucair continuously returned to the memories she carried from the art and architecture of the Islamic world. This influence was counterbalanced by her exposure to Le Corbusier’s then unfinished Unité d'Habitation in Marseille. Corbusier’s fascination with line, form and modularity countered her perspective, allowing her to form her own unique position within Modernism. Her works focus heavily on curve, line, volume and material, often executing her works in stone, as in the present sculpture.

In 2013, Tate Modern held Choucair’s first retrospective in the western world, celebrating the pioneer of abstract art in the Middle East. Her works have been acquired by various international cultural institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Centre Pompidou, Paris; the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao; LACMA, Los Angeles; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha; the Smith College Museum of Art, Massachusetts; the Art Institute Chicago; the Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah; the Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah; and the Dalloul Art Foundation, Beirut.