A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on July 12, 2018, on page 16.
Assembled by Palestinian artist Said Baalbaki, the exhibition presents 50 of Abbo's sketches, etchings and object, as well as texts – all taken from Baalbaki's personal collection of work from, and publications on, the elusive sculptor. Baalbaki has no work of his own in this show.
Born in Safad, northern Palestine, around 1888-1890, Abbo was a farmer and fisherman who later took up carpentry and stone masonry. It was not until he moved to Berlin in 1911 to study sculpture that his artistic career took shape.
Baalbaki has spent the last four years finding, and determining attribution for, 70 artworks and 100 texts mentioning the artist.
Baalbaki says many of Abbo's sculptures didn't survive World War I. He believes those that were originally exhibited in museums in Germany were taken during the war and melted down to make weapons.
Alongside Abbo's artworks are vintage photos of places he'd been or postcards from that time period, which Baalbaki says is to give an overall look at the life he led, in today's age of media and imagery.
Baalbaki intends to continue his research and tracking down Abbo's works.