The House of Wisdom, an iconic cultural hub in Sharjah, recently opened an exhibition, ‘A Window to the Soul: Gibran Khalil Gibran’, celebrating the life and work of the acclaimed Lebanese artist and poet. The showcase also includes a special display of Gibran’s personal belongings including the galley and plate proofs of The Prophet – a seminal work that has struck a chord with generations of readers worldwide.

The exhibition featuring 34 of the artist’s original works of art in various mediums offers visitors a rare and intimate peek into the pre-publication phase of The Prophet, a slim volume of 26 prose poems, which has been translated into more than 100 languages since it was first published in 1923.

The galley proof –one of the last stages before publication of the manuscript – features textual changes and deletions marked in the author’s handwriting, allowing visitors a never-seen-before glimpse of the final stages of the book’s composition. Gibran, a key figure in both Arabic and English literature, was 40 at the time of its publication, and had once said: “My entire being is in The Prophet. Everything I have ever done before was only a prelude to this.”

The exhibition also has on display the original Arabic manuscripts of The Garden of the Prophet – the 1933 sequel to The Prophet; and features several parts of Spirits Rebellious, a cry for freedom of his beloved homeland, Lebanon, which is set forth in four lyrical parables.

Marwa Al Aqroubi, Director of the House of Wisdom, said: “Gibran’s works continue to strike a chord and offer spiritual nourishment to millions worldwide to this day. With the artworks and personal belongings of the eminentGibran Khalil Gibran, the exhibition is offering the UAE’s art and culture lovers, particularly fans of Gibran, a first-of-its-kind opportunity to connect with him on a deeper level; relish an intimate experience of taking a close look at his personal belongings to better understand his work and his creative process as an artist, author and poet”.

‘A Window to the Soul: Gibran Khalil Gibran’ exhibition remains open at the House of Wisdom until January 6, 2022, the author/artist’s 139^th birth anniversary.