www.khouryart.org Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

DATE: October 3, 2002 

CONTACT: 
Mr. Theodore Khoury 
info@khouryart.org 

www.khouryart.org 

CHICAGO - The work of the late Professor Sari I. Khoury is on display again, on an internet website dedicated to preserving his paintings, drawings, and artistic ideas. A virtual exhibit of thirty-two paintings can be seen and will be periodically updated, highlighting the depth of Sari's work. 

Sari I. Khoury was born in Jerusalem, Palestine in 1941. Speaking of his childhood in Palestine, Sari once said, "I witnessed all kinds of upheavals and painful situations and learned to internalize the agony of our impoverished status. My therapy from all this was in drawing. I drew figures, and tormented faces, old wrinkled people." At the age of 17, he came to the United States to complete his art degrees, receiving an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Painting and Sculpture. He taught painting and drawing and served as chairperson of the art department at Central Michigan University. 

Khoury's work ranges from referential to abstract, a constant exploration of the fragmentation of form and the play of light within the composition. The range of influences in his work span from Byzantine Icons and Arabic calligraphy to elements of cubism and early abstraction. The artist spoke of these, saying "The Byzantine influence manifests itself mainly through the suspension of images,and a non-objective approach to the human figure. Elements of Arabic script is manifested in my work in the balance of curvilinear configurations and geometricity." 

The website, www.khouryart.org, was created to preserve and document much of Khoury's work in electronic format, with the aim of getting the work shown to a wider audience and a new generation of artists. In addition, writings and archival photos of the artist at work are documented on the website. 

Recently, Sari Khoury's work was selected for exhibition in Williamsburg Bridges Palestine, in Brooklyn, NY (November 2-24) and a mural he completed for the ACCESS Center in Dearborn, MI was featured on the front cover of the Arab-American Encyclopedia. Previous solo exhibits included the Alif Gallery in Washington, D.C., the Midland Center for the Arts, and the CMU University Art Gallery. Sari Khoury is survived by his wife, Suheila, and three sons, Michael, Theodore, and Christopher.

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