Bibi Zogbé

Labibeh (Bibi) Zogbé was born in the coastal village of Sahel Alma. She emigrated to Argentina aged 16 and, following a failed marriage, dedicated herself to a life focused on art in Buenos Aires. She studied under the Bulgarian painter Klin Dimitrof in the 1930s, holding her first solo show in 1934 at ‘Galerías Witcomb’, to great acclaim, with others swiftly following at the Charpentier Gallery, Paris (1935) and in Chile (1939). Zogbé gained huge popularity across South America, with her uplifting, colourful paintings of flowers in bloom, beautifully evoking her free spirit and love for nature, while earning the affectionate nickname ‘La Pintora De Flores’ (The Flower Painter). Known for the quality of her colours and composition, her work also benefited from having a certain timelessness about it.

A thirst for adventure led to her travelling extensively, spending time in Africa, where she immersed herself in the cultures of the places she visited and painted portraits. Paris and Dakar were among her favourite locations. In 1947, Zogbé visited Lebanon to take part in a collective exhibition at the National Museum of Lebanon and receive the Lebanese Cedar-Medallion of Excellence. She died in Mar del Plata, Argentina.