Category: Interview

Shifting energies from negative to positive seems to be a continuous process for me. It feels like a repetitive pattern, but I choose to believe that hope and light are always there and that we are moving forward and upwards on the journey.

Notably, since the popular uprising of October 17th, 2019, Lebanese artists were truly able to assert their work as a tool for social upheaval. Arts and culture thus echo the pulse of a society.

I fear that, due to these difficult circumstances, the Lebanese artist will become a refugee in his/her country and abroad, especially with the disruption of most of the creative projects in Beirut or what we call(ed) “The Switzerland of the Middle East”.

Before the revolution, almost no artists dared to venture into Solidere’s territory and were focused on other parts of the city. Those who did were fought by the contractor. The fact that the revolution was hosted mostly by the Beirut Central District has a powerful meaning. It is a break of geographical and conventional boundaries of public spaces.

The blast has thrown the whole country into deep grief. I was no exception. I could not pick up a brush, whatever I would paint felt wrong and dull. I had to stop painting for a while, allow grief in and allow myself to feel it.  

There is no limit when it comes to creative thinking and initiating inspiring ideas, so there is always room for change. 

The Beirut port explosion has had a profound impact on my art, especially on the subject matters of my work as it brought with it so many of my childhood memories in wartime and all the insecurities we still live through.

Don’t lose faith, help us in projecting the creative and beautiful image of Lebanon, be an active part of today’s resilience and tomorrow’s aspiration.

The survival of creative enterprises in Lebanon means the survival of their plurality, tolerance, and freedom of expression. We will not list all the obstacles facing artists, but we will rebuild and continue...

The Beirut port explosions have had a negative economic impact on most fields and unfortunately artists have also had their fair share in that matter.