Rita David

About Artist:

Rita David is a French painter born in Jerusalem, Palestina. Accomplishes first studies at the Acad?mie des Beaux Arts in Paris and in Lebanon. Later, in 1948 she enters the Acad?mie des Beaux Arts in Beirut under the guidance of the masters Manetti and Gemayel, from where she graduated in 1954. Also in Lebanon, she takes classes in sculpture with Professor Gash from Hungary, and later in ceramics under the guidance of Gladys M?ndez Ruiz in Guatemala City. During the following years she devotes herself to painting and participates in multiple expositions. In 1979 she directs the College des Saints Coeurs, and in 1981 imparts painting classes to architects and decorators at the Acad?mie des Beaux Arts in Beyrouth in Lebanon. At present she participates in many exhibitions and maintains frequent contact with the Herouet Galerie and the Grand Palais Museum in Paris.

One Woman Expositions
- From 1956 to 1959 annual exhibitions in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
- 1962 opens her atelier and sets up a permanent exposition in Beyrouth.
- 1963 ceramics exposition in Guatemala City.
- 1964 at Feo Karril Gallery in Guatemala City.
- 1967-1968 two annual exhibitions at the Carlton Hotel, in Beyrouth.
- 1968 opens her atelier and sets up a permanent exposition in Paris.
- From 1970 to 72, yearly exhibits in the Carlton Hotel, Beirut.
- 1973 at the Mart?nez Hotel in Beyrouth.
- 1973 at the Kaslik University of Lebanon.
- 1974 Carlton Hotel, Beirut.
- 1977 Samia?s Tutunji Gallery, Beyrouth.
- 1979 The Smugglers Inn Gallery in Beyrouth.
- 1980 exposition ?The Portraits Week?, at the Beckazi Gallery, Beyrouth.
- 1980 Beaf Eater, Beyrouth.
- 1981 in the city of Augsbourg, Germany, in Ba?der dei Commody Gallery.
- 1984 at the residence of Kathy Swintek, Avenue Cl?bert, Paris.
- 1985 at the Ch?teau de la Duchesse de la Roche Foucault, Paris.
- 1986 in Dijon, France.
- 1987 Galerie Herouet dans le Marais in Paris.
- 1994 Societ? Dante Alighieri in Guatemala.

Collective Exhibitions
Some of the most important collective exhibitions:
- From 1954 to 1982 thirty collective exhibitions at the ?Salons Annuels du Printemps? (Annual Exhibitions of Spring) at the Cit? de l?Unesco, Beyrouth.
- 1957 at an exhibition of ceramics in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
- From 1960 to 1987 participates at different biennials of painting in Brussels, Alexandria (Egypt), Al-Kuwait (Kuwait), New York and Paris.
- 1963 another ceramics exhibitions in Beyrouth.
- From 1963 to 1975 Annual Exhibition of Autumn at the Mus?e Nicolas Sursock, fifteen collective expositions, Beyrouth.
- 1965 the itinerary exposition in Kuwait.
- From 1975 to 1977 at the Carlton Hotel, Beyrouth.
- 1978 participates in the Artistic Conmemorative Festival of the Month in honor of the Lebanese poet Gibran Khalil Gibran.
- From 1980 to 1986 at the Artisanat Gallery, twelve expositions (two yearly).
- 1980 participates in the Nawar Exposition, Faculty of Fine Arts, Lebanon.
- 1980 at the Beckazi Gallery, and at the Chahin?s Gallery in Kaslik, Lebanon.
- 1981-1982 at the Museum of Fine Arts of Lebanon, in Beyrouth.
- 1982 participates in the Orient Exhibition in the city of Angers, France.
- 1982-1983 at the Carlton Hotel, two expositions, Beyrouth.
- 1982-1984-1986 participates in the ?Salon des Artistes Fran?ais? (Exhibition of French Artists) at the Gran Palais Museum in Paris.
- 1983 participates in the collective expositions held in Paris at the Acad?mie Diplomatique Internationale, Hotel de Sully and at the National Library of France.
- 1984 expositions ?Salons d?automne du Grand Palais?, Paris.
- 1984 the Hautefeuille Gallery in Paris.
- 1985 Exhibition at the Unesco in Paris.
- 1985 Watercolor exhibition ?Architecture Libanaise?, Dijon, France.
- 1985 Collective Exhibitions at the UNESCO in Paris.
- 1986 participates in the ?Exposition de l?orient?, held in Paris.
- 1986 participates at the auction Drouot, Paris.
- 1987 the Saint Georges Hotel, Beyrouth.
- 1988 the Hautefeuille Gallery, in Paris.
- 1989 participates in the exhibition of ?Women for the Art?, at the National Museum of Guatemala.
- 1990 participates in the exhibition ?Women for the Art?, at the UCSB Women?s Center of Washington.
- 1991 at the Museum of Fine Arts, in Guatemala.

Distinctions and Recognitions
- Second place, at the fall exhibition of 1966, at the Mus?e Nicolas Sursock, Beirut, Lebanon.
- First Prize (painting category), at the Festival of Montagne Bikfaya, in 1967, Lebanon.
- From 1967 to 1986 different prizes and distinctions, at the spring, and fall expositions, held during those years in Lebanon.
- Honorific Mention at the Mus?e Grand Palais of Paris in 1986.

Other Artwork
- Assignment of a mural at the Shehrazad Hotel, Lebanon 1952 and many other murals.
- Publications in various magazines, newspapers and others from 1960 to 1986.
- In 1963 -40 charcoal illustrations for the Christian Dior?s book and many other illustrations as well.
- From 1962 to 1970 participates at the Baalbeck Festival with works done in different techniques including ink, charcoal and oilpaint.
- Participates in the book for the One Hundred Years of Lebanese Plastic Art, published in 1980.
- Illustrations for the book LIBAN, published by the Unesco in Paris, 1981.
- Participates with the technique LAVIS at the exposition ?Lettres et Visages du Liban et de l?Orient? (Letters and Faces of Lebanon and the Orient) held in Dijon, France, 1983.
- Poster announcing the exposition to be held at the Palace of the Dukes of Bourgogne in Dijon, France, 1983.
- Exhibition (at the Foyer Libanais) Series of 22 lithographs for the collection ?L?Apocalypse de Saint Jean? in Paris, 1985.
- Series of watercolor for the edition of ?Lebanese Architecture from the XV to the XIX centuries?, Paris, 1986.
- Illustration for the Sotheby?s Catalog, London, 1993.