From October 24, 2025, a firework display of artistic passion will unfold at the Deichtorhallen Hamburg: Huguette Caland: A LIFE IN A FEW LINES presents the multifaceted work of the Lebanese artist who, from the 1960s onwards, broke every convention and questioned every boundary between social norms, sexuality and artistic expression. With around 300 works from three continents, the show opens up a dynamic view of an artist whose life was as colorful, contradictory and uncompromising as her paintings themselves.

Caland's art is a rebellion against stagnation. Born in Beirut in 1931 as the daughter of the first president of Lebanon, she could have led a life in the political elite, in conformity and conformity. But she chose to resist - against the expectations of her family, against the restrictive social roles of her time. Her move to the American University of Beirut in 1964 was already an act of self-determination; her move to Paris in 1970 and her return to Beirut in 2013 were all stages in her search for artistic freedom and personal authenticity.

Huguette Caland, Moi, Moustafa et Paul, 1970, oil on canvas © Courtesy of Huguette Caland Estate and LACMA, Los Angeles

Her works reflect this attitude to life in all its facets: colorful paintings, sensual drawings, sculptures and textile objects that are sometimes figurative, sometimes abstract, but always focus on desire, love, community and aging. Erotic motifs that are both playful and provocative place Caland at the forefront of a generation that no longer wanted to reduce female identity to role clichés. Her art is life-affirming, courageous and fearless - a visual dialog about what often remains hidden.
Caland's work is as cosmopolitan as her life story. The bohemian atmosphere in Paris, the experimental atmosphere in Venice, California, and her return to Beirut form the resonance chamber of her art, which interweaves cultural differences, political tensions and personal experiences in a radical way. The result is a sensual and aesthetic world that not only needs to be viewed, but also experienced.
The exhibition also pays tribute to Caland's influence on today's art world: she is considered an icon of female emancipation and an inspiration for female artists worldwide. Her works, represented in renowned collections such as the Centre Pompidou, Tate London and the British Museum, unfold a new presence here in Hamburg, inviting visitors to indulge in the courage, passion and radical sensuality of this extraordinary artist.
October 24, 2025 to April 26, 2026
www.deichtorhallen.de