Naharnet Newsdesk - Lebanese Sid Chidiac Rides The Ladder of Success With Chocolate Art

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Lebanese Sid Chidiac Rides The Ladder of Success With Chocolate Art
If art is a question of taste, the Australian painter Sid Chidiac, whose works are entirely made of fine Belgian chocolate, has given himself a head start in the popularity ratings.
In the past three years, the 36-year-old has conjured up dozens of works from pure chocolate -- complete with edible frame, canvas and richly-colored paint -- portraits ranging from Marilyn Monroe to chat-show host Oprah Winfrey.

His tantalizing technique uses a rich blend of white chocolate -- copiously donated by a major chocolate maker -- and a range of simple food colorings.

Since his first work in chocolate in 2003, a painting of sunflowers, with honeyed yellow hues fanning out from a heart of smooth dark chocolate, Chidiac has captured the public imagination with his alluring, ephemeral creations.

"They cant believe it is really chocolate and want to reach out and taste, just like when you look at chocolate sitting on a table," the artist who grew up between his parent's native Lebanon and Australia, and now lives and works in New York, explained.

The appeal of Chidiac's works, which are shown at chocolate fairs around the world, is such that they have to be cordoned off with stern "No touching, No tasting" signs, as organizers fight off constant requests to sample the paint.

Each portrait takes between one and three days to complete, and can last several years if kept in the right conditions, away from strong light and humidity. One has even kept for 10 years.

Despite their relatively short lifespan, most of the chocolate works have been sold at auction to raise funds in support of child cancer patients in Australia and the United States.

Chidiac, who trained as an oil painter, first realized chocolate's potential while working in Sydney's hotel industry, where he helped a chef prepare for a chocolate sculpture exhibition.

It was only years later, after moving to New York in 2003, that he started to exploit its potential to the full.

"When chocolate is processed from the raw cocoa, a number of things are taken out -- I just put everything back in," he said, giving away a single clue.

"There is a limit to the number of colors I can make," he said, adding that he was looking at ways of expanding his chocolate color range.

Chidiac admits that chocolate has provided him with a short-cut to success, helping him stand out on the crowded New York art scene and attracting the sort of intense media attention invaluable to any young artist.

He plans to branch out from portraits into other themes, including a series of paintings -- in both oil and chocolate -- depicting the ancient tales of Lebanese mythology, to be housed in Lebanon in a museum shaped like Noah's Ark.

Chidiac has shows scheduled in Warth, Austria on April 21-24, in North Hollywood, Los Angeles on May 14-15, in New York on October 22-25 and in Paris on November 10-13. His work can be seen at www.sidchidiac.com.(AFP)

Beirut, Updated 21 Apr 05, 16:29

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