HIGHLIGHT

I am a Lebanese artist that left 4 years ago to move to New York. I started drawing at a very young age and I was not very good at math or any scientific subject for that matter. I used to draw in class a lot to try and keep from getting bored. Boredom is my worst nightmare.

I think I always knew I wanted to be an artist, but I don’t think I ever had the courage to admit it out loud. I did my first exhibition when I was 18 that’s when I started to paint on bigger scales. I went to art school and majored in comic book design, and I created my line of illustrated unisex shirts ‘if I was a man, I would be a woman'. After that I studied gemology and thought I would get into jewelry design, but ended up at Christies where I studied art business and art history. This is when I started to paint again and got picked for the Art Basel Miami. At that point, I was just drawing comic strips about our parties, our lives, and our subconscious. But now, here we are today as I am doing my second solo exhibition in New York.

I think if I had to simplify my creative process, it comes down to dreams or nightmares, observing the people around me while taking long walks alone and listening to jazz.

Let me phrase this in a simple way, I am oversensitive as a human and the only way for me to stay in control of my emotions is by releasing them in my art.

I am very connected with Beirut and it’s a love hate relationship. I had a downfall when the August 4th explosion happened, even though till this day I will choose my city over anywhere else. It’s not healthy to be there anymore. I will always hope for better days for my country and its people. My life in New York is hectic obviously, and I don’t think anyone can say it’s easy, but I am surrounded by great humans which make the city feel like a small filthy magical village. Especially with people like Nessy around to keep our style in check. But these 2 cities have been my biggest influence. My art will continue to evolve at the same pace as my self-growth. You will always see the presence of the subconscious in my paintings and the human attributes that always intrigue me the most.

Everything about New York inspires me and it helped me grow in my personal style around art and fashion. The outcome of anyone’s journey in New York will be finding one's true self.

Sunglasses are the best accessory to complete a look. Some people try to hide their puffy eyes and some people like to look cool. I think that when I wear sunglasses, I feel like no one can see what I am seeing, plus it’s the sexiest accessory since the eyewear has its own personality.

I had the pleasure to meet with such a strong and independent creator like Nessy Khem. She is truly one of a kind, and we became friends just a year ago. We will always have in my opinion iconic looks from Nessy and make sure to catch her during Halloween season, that’s a true camp diva.