Life as a teenager in 1980s war-torn Beirut was difficult, and drawing was Annabel Daou’s escape. The Barnard alumna and assistant adjunct professor of art history turned to the pursuit to soothe herself in stressful times — something she still does today.
“Drawing is what saved me when we were in bomb shelters, which was a large part of my life,” she said.
Now, over 30 years since she arrived on campus after leaving her homeland, Daou is sharing her beloved craft with the next generation of Barnard students. Her course, Drawing Studio, is intended not only to teach students rudimentary skills and techniques but also to encourage them to use other forms of expression — such as movement and sound — to help enhance what shows up on the canvas.
“I’m trying to expand the notion of what drawing can be,” said Daou.
Each class brings students on an artistic odyssey as they converse, apply their skills in the studio, and spend time reflecting on their creations. It is important to Daou that she create a collective space for students to learn how to work together and support each other — the same kind of welcoming, safe, and intellectually enriching environment that she encountered as a student and refugee at Barnard.
To keep inspiration flowing, Daou regularly invites guests into the classroom. For one lesson on gesture, movement, and rhythm, students sketched the various gestures of a conductor as she listened to a song while wearing earphones. Unable to hear the music, students’ depictions rested solely on the conductor’s bodily expressions. Daou later brought in a choreographer who came up with a sequence of movements based on the students’ drawings. To bring everything full circle, Daou then played the original music the conductor was listening to and had the students act out the choreography they learned — in effect, bringing their art to life.
In teaching students the boundless possibilities of drawing, Daou strives to move beyond the practical and open students up to their own potential.
“One of my goals of the class is to have the students feel their power and find the courage to express their power,” she said. “Not just in the class, but to take this out of the class. And I think drawing can do that.”
