Chaouki Choukini’s distinctive, multiscalar sculptures in exotic hardwoods and bronze function as windows to his childhood and the landscape of South Lebanon, where he was raised. Architectural foundations abound in the oftentimes detailed nature of sculptures. Tensions between corners, edges and cubist elements, juxtaposed with softly layered biomorphic forms are central to his oeuvre, along with references to Japanese minimalist aesthetics. Born in Lebanon, he studied art at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris and is now based in France. Nu Paysage, which translates to “bare landscape” is a rare, figural sculpture carved out of iroko wood. It bears a duality of identities: Choukini’s low, reclined figure appears to be nude in childlike foetal pose, but its horizontal character, could also be read as a rolling landscape. The artist was awarded the Prix for Young Sculpture in 1978 and the Taylor Foundation Prize in 2010. In 2015, Choukini received the Prix de la Fondation Pierre Gianadda from the Académie des Beaux-Arts de l'Institut de France.