ART DISTRICT is pleased to announce the extension of the exhibition ’Light in the Shadows of Ruin’ by Ali Chamsedine till October 30th. 

In times of ash, when the earth burns and the air fractures, when cities shatter beneath the hammers of the Gods of war, and death carves its black lines upon our faces, I turn to color as an act of life. I turn to light as a hidden voice that breaks the silence.

In these paintings, I do not confront evil in its raw essence - dark, murderous, and violent - for Evil itself cannot be painted.

It is too stark, too brutal, too absolute. Rather, I attempt to portray what survives it, what remains in the eyes of those who still stand amid the wreckage, stripped of everything yet still holding on to the dream.

It is a humble and respectful attempt to come close to those who cross wars with fragile bodies and unbroken souls; to the human being who, though weakened, does not bow; to beauty that triumphs over darkness and chooses to remain.

On these canvases, color battles with violence in a secret hidden dialogue, leaving scars on the white surface. What remains—love, hope, and light—is perhaps the last shield we hold before the enduring darkness.

Ali Mahmoud Chamsedine (b. Lebanon, 1955) is a painter, illustrator, and designer. A graduate of the Lebanese University (BFA, 1982), he has worked across painting, publishing, and art direction, leaving a strong mark on Arab cultural production. He managed the Fekrah Foundation (2012–2016), held key design roles at Al-Kifah Al-Arabi and Al-Jazirah newspapers, and contributed to Kuwait’s Capital of Arab Culture publications in 2000.