Article: Artist of the week
Artist of the week
RAWIA GHANDOUR ZANTOUT
Rawia Ghandour Zantout's story is a testament to the power of passion and determination. Despite her father's objection to pursuing an artistic degree, Rawia never lost her love for the arts. While studying business and finance at the International University of Monaco, she also attended several art courses and eventually became a self-taught artist.
Rawia's work is heavily inspired by the Impressionist painters who lived and worked in the south of France, where she also studied. She is particularly drawn to the magical reflections present in nature and captures them beautifully in her art.
Rawia's career began with creating art for children. She founded the "Mishmash Kids Club," which taught children painting and the skills necessary for pursuing a career in the arts. Her art soon gained recognition, and she was commissioned to create a range of paintings for Bank Med, with a focus on ecological themes present in her homeland, Lebanon. Her works were distributed to thousands of bank customers as lithographs.
In 2007, Rawia delved into the political side of art, inspired by the turmoil in her country. She created a painting that crystallized the March 14 Revolution in Martyrs Square, which now hangs in the ex-prime minister's office of Saad Hariri.
Rawia's love for fine arts has led her to create her own world and style, characterized by the use of many paint layers to give her paintings a textured 3D effect. She has been commissioned to paint several portraits of world and Lebanese leaders for official sites, including President Vladimir Putin, Ex-President Michel Aoun, Troels Povlsen, FPM Saad Hariri, and FPM Fouad Seniora, which are displayed in various places.
Rawia has participated in many exhibitions in Lebanon and abroad and has received several awards. Her recent exhibitions include a collective exhibition at les Plumes Gallery, Beirut, and a collective exhibition at Sursok Museum, Beirut. She was also selected as a finalist for the Global Art Award in Dubai in 2018.
Nevertheless, her art continues to inspire and delight audiences around the world.