Solo exhibition at XVA Gallery (19 December – 24 January 2022) ‘Conversation With The Wilderness’ by Lana Khayat

Having always believed that nature has music for those willing to lend an ear and as an introvert, Lana Khayat has found herself more fluent with nature rather than mankind. This is featured in her art as a free-flowing journey of the conversations she had with the wilderness and trees. During these dialogues with nature, the artist realized that some learnings are too deep and personal to be put into words and this inspired the choice to use the canvas as her medium of expression.

'Conversation With The Wilderness' bridges what is natural and what is constructed. The trees being the "natural" and the conversations with them depict the "constructed". Each stroke in her art is saturated with meaning and symbolism. Some compact strokes and monotones are indicative of moments when nature refused to enlighten her and was rough beyond understanding. Whereas longer and more colourful strokes reflect the days when the conversations with nature would flow smoothly as a stream, and there was nothing but gratitude and love. The abstractness of her art is synonymous with the unpredictability of her encounters with nature. The artist aims to inspire people to discover the depths of nature where nothing is mundane and everything has a meaning.

(Text from curatorial statement)

Lana Khayat, The Garden of Maverick, 2022, Acrylic on canvas / Courtesy of XVA Gallery

Lana Khayat, The Solitary Seaker, 2022, Acrylic on canvas / Courtesy of XVA Gallery

Lana Khayat, The Enchanted Core of Life, 2022, Acrylic on canvas / Courtesy of XVA Gallery

Born and brought up in Beirut, Lebanon, Lana Khayat comes from a family of Artists. She is an undergraduate in Design from the American University of Beirut and a Master in Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts, New York where she also worked at the Guggenheim Museum.

The exhibition opens on 19 December and will be on view until 24 January 2022, at XVA Gallery.