Mireille Honein
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Biography
Birth: 1947 or 1948 in Kfarchima, Lebanon.
Education: She obtained a master’s degree in law and a doctorate in information sciences.
At the start of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975, she gave up a legal career and went to France to continue her studies. She then hoped to help reform the Ministry of Information, which she considered ineffective.
Education: She obtained a master’s degree in law and a doctorate in information sciences.
At the start of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975, she gave up a legal career and went to France to continue her studies. She then hoped to help reform the Ministry of Information, which she considered ineffective.
Career
Her encounter with sculpture dates back to 1988, when she spontaneously modeled clay in a friend’s studio. This experience sparked a true passion.
Her work is characterized by great formal simplicity and a humanist inspiration. She often depicts human figures—especially couples—that symbolize equality, union, and harmony.
Among her major works is the 2.20-meter bronze sculpture *Reading*, depicting a couple absorbed in a book. This piece was donated to the city of Beirut, where it became a cultural landmark.
Her sculptures are also present in public spaces and galleries in France and Lebanon, such as “Fervour” in Saint-Amand-Montrond. She also exhibited at the Salon d’Automne and the Grand Palais in Paris.
Artistic and Social Engagement
Mireille Honein used her art as a tool for awareness and social advocacy.
One of her most striking installations, *Undress 522*, featured wedding dresses suspended along Beirut’s waterfront. This work aimed to denounce Article 522 of the Lebanese penal code, which allowed a rapist to escape justice by marrying his victim.
Exhibitions and Recognition
Her work has been presented in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Lebanon and abroad, and some of her pieces have been sold at auction.
MACAM (Museum of Contemporary Art, Lebanon) pays tribute to her and highlights her role as an engaged sculptor and cultural figure.
End of Life
Mireille Honein passed away in June 2022 in Paris following a heart attack.
Mireille Honein remains an emblematic figure of contemporary Lebanese art: a sculptor who successfully combined aesthetic rigor, human sensitivity, and social commitment.
Solo exhibition at Galerie Cheriff Tabet in October 2025.
Her work is characterized by great formal simplicity and a humanist inspiration. She often depicts human figures—especially couples—that symbolize equality, union, and harmony.
Among her major works is the 2.20-meter bronze sculpture *Reading*, depicting a couple absorbed in a book. This piece was donated to the city of Beirut, where it became a cultural landmark.
Her sculptures are also present in public spaces and galleries in France and Lebanon, such as “Fervour” in Saint-Amand-Montrond. She also exhibited at the Salon d’Automne and the Grand Palais in Paris.
Artistic and Social Engagement
Mireille Honein used her art as a tool for awareness and social advocacy.
One of her most striking installations, *Undress 522*, featured wedding dresses suspended along Beirut’s waterfront. This work aimed to denounce Article 522 of the Lebanese penal code, which allowed a rapist to escape justice by marrying his victim.
Exhibitions and Recognition
Her work has been presented in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Lebanon and abroad, and some of her pieces have been sold at auction.
MACAM (Museum of Contemporary Art, Lebanon) pays tribute to her and highlights her role as an engaged sculptor and cultural figure.
End of Life
Mireille Honein passed away in June 2022 in Paris following a heart attack.
Mireille Honein remains an emblematic figure of contemporary Lebanese art: a sculptor who successfully combined aesthetic rigor, human sensitivity, and social commitment.
Solo exhibition at Galerie Cheriff Tabet in October 2025.