Landscape 8, 2024

Layla Dagher  

Beirut, you have always captivated me.

Every time I pass through the streets of this vibrant city, I am overwhelmed with inspiration.

This series of Beirut paintings is not about realism, but rather about capturing the city's essence; the density, the structures, the complexity; all through abstraction.

After the past two years of what we passed through in our country, I felt the desire in my artwork to escape to nature and disconnect from the urban chaos.

In my solo show, I explore the duality between the city and the landscape, and I create a dialogue between two different worlds; one rigid and structured, and the other fluid and soft.

The city and the landscape are two different worlds; what is in common is how they transform space. In some ways, the city is a landscape shaped by humans, with abstract representation and fragmented structures. Its density and chaos contrast with the open, flowing space of nature. This duality between nature and urbanism I explore in my collages. The layers of Kraft papers can be seen as a way to layer different realities. The idea of assembling and reinventing elements symbolize how I percieve both the city and nature as something fragmented yet unified.

The contrast between the structured forms of the city and the open, flowing quality of the landscape is an experimental process for me. Seemingly, collage, painting and embroidery intertwine in a visual dialogue. Kraft paper, the main element in my compositions, connect and create a bridge between these parallel worlds.

This series invites viewers to reflect on the delicate balance between these two worlds and how, despite their differences, are unified by the techniques I use, as well as the fusion of materials and mediums. I aim to reinvent my perception of space. Nature with its organic forms and harmonious patterns offers a contrast to the complex structures of the city. And yet, through my artistic approach, both worlds are stitched together by the same methods.

- Layla Dagher