“It’s definitely another kind of confinement that which we are having in Lebanon. We are seeing the decline of the state on all levels, and we can feel that quarantine and the current political situation are very much interrelated; one is serving the other in a way to keep any uprising protests from happening.

Meanwhile as an artist living in such challenging political conditions, the daily stress of our environment is definitely affecting me more directly than the confinement due to the virus. Low self confidence mixed with strong emotions and inspirations is how I am feeling. I search for calm spaces and seek the right time that helps me create in the middle of these stormy days—some days are easier than others.

I can see my recent work is quite a mixture of my state of being: anger, frustration and a lot of reflection.

It’s true that we don’t have the luxury of the calm that some artists in other cities are experiencing, nevertheless, I can’t help but being positive because at the end for me everything will have a meaning for sure.”

“It’s definitely another kind of confinement that which we are having in Lebanon. We are seeing the decline of the state on all levels, and we can feel that quarantine and the current political situation are very much interrelated; one is serving the other in a way to keep any uprising protests from happening.

Meanwhile as an artist living in such challenging political conditions, the daily stress of our environment is definitely affecting me more directly than the confinement due to the virus. Low self confidence mixed with strong emotions and inspirations is how I am feeling. I search for calm spaces and seek the right time that helps me create in the middle of these stormy days—some days are easier than others.

I can see my recent work is quite a mixture of my state of being: anger, frustration and a lot of reflection.

It’s true that we don’t have the luxury of the calm that some artists in other cities are experiencing, nevertheless, I can’t help but being positive because at the end for me everything will have a meaning for sure.”

“This corona paralyzed the world and spread fear everywhere but at the same time it made us think about life and the future of humanity.

This time had a good impact on me. I became more productive, spent my days and nights painting to forget the bad news and disconnect myself from this harsh reality. My work became more colorful than ever. I guess this was my refuge ..my only hope...my escape plan. “

“It slowed my work a bit, but then it gave me new opportunities to work on my photography as my major focus. I photographed the corona times and overall spaces definitely.”

انها العودة او الغربة او التواري عن الانظار ، الجائحة جعلت خياراتنا اقل و ابسط كما هو العالم قبل تعقيدنا له ، كوني هاربا من الجائحة و من الحروب قبلها جعلني انطلق نحو السماء بمستوى الغيم تقريباً عالقا بين الفضاء و الارض كما انا عالق في شبه وطن و اعيش شبه حياة.

“I like to keep the door open, even in the summertime. I need to feel some contact with the outside, because it feels like I’m living in a closed box. I am already boxed right now, but I mean…”

"Before having to quarantine I would paint to pause life and stop time from ticking; however now quarantine forced life to stop and with no distractions I was given the chance to explore the life that is already within me. A saying I often find myself repeating during this time "if you can't go outside then go inside" and putting this saying to action I always tried to visualize my feelings by using objects that would represent my current state of mind or heart. Objects I have used included mirrors and breaking them, needles and a thread to stitch, bricks and cement, puzzle pieces, etc."

“This time during quarantine has been somewhat very interesting and a little hard as an artist because I am the type of artist who is inspired by the outdoors a lot and observing people. Most of my projects have come to a halt in terms of on-site work but luckily some are still going through but at a much slower rate. But its allowed me to go inwards and explore art through the internet; which I am thoroughly enjoying - because I don't use social media all too often.

This time has allowed me to pick up where I started from in terms of my three side projects; so I am definitely optimizing and prioritizing my time effectively. I don't feel too affected by the quarantine lockdown but I definitely miss my long hourly walks everyday! My best ideas come from being outdoors and playing. Along at times from even being bored; which I am allowing myself to do more these days.

This situation and time has definitely taught me that nothing is impossible and that there are opportunities even amidst a crisis. It has also taught me to never take simple pleasures in life for granted ie walks and birds singing! I also sincerely appreciate all the artists and art communities gathering together to show our support in such a chaotic and uncertain time.

Right now I am exploring creating a children's book to finish before the end of this year since I will have plenty of time these days! I am also trying to create some optimistic art and posts to uplift the community here in UAE. I am currently collaborating with a art company to put together an initiative to the public which is art-related so quite a few things are happening. There's lots to hope for and look forward to!”

“There is a quote by Francis Bacon the philosopher and it says “Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god.”

Am I delighted in this solitude ?

am not sure . .

But I know that I needed a pause and space which came now with this freeze of time .

Am dipped more into color and distributed figures of feelings followed with my brush strokes ,

Also I went more into contemplation and writing which I miss doing and didn’t have time to do it before .

So lets hope its a time to remember in terms of producing and achievements.”

“The lockdown/quarantine period has been hugely inspiring and experimentation all. It has pushed me to take more risks in my work by trying new materials and new styles and techniques. A lot of self reflection too is revealing itself in the work I’m producing at this time.”