Inspired by his hometown of Baalback, the work of Mazen Rifai is characterized by transparency and luminosity while capturing an interpretation of emotions. This serene watercolor of the Bekea region is an homage to his ancestral land. Created from forms and colors from the valley, the viewer travels down the road passing the picturesque landscape and villages.

The abstract work of Mazen Rifai is characterized by transparency and luminosity while capturing an interpretation of emotions. Instead of drawing the landscapes or representations of objects and places, Rifai paints sensations and memories associated with the subject. ما المجد الا السيف is a phrase taken from a famous poem by the 10^th Century writer Al-Mutanabbi. The entirety of the sentence is translated as “Don’t think for a moment that glory is in a wine skin or a songstress, for glory resides in the sword and the decisive blow.’

Inspired by his hometown of Baalback, the abstract small-scaled work of Mazen Rifai is characterized by transparency and luminosity while capturing an interpretation of emotions. Instead of depicting the landscapes or representations of objects and places, Rifai paints sensations and memories associated with his subjects. The ink on paper, “Ilk ya Baalbak” is a classic example of an homage to his ancestral land.