Pistachio, Coral & Mustard
"I am not talking about food, but rather colours. My passion is colours and what they can bring to canvas and paper. I have always had a strong sense of belonging to the spectrum of colours that grey doesn't suit my preference. Do not get me wrong, as elegant as grey can be, I tend to be extreme with my choices in colours as they best express my idée in art."
Léa Malas
Intuition is my primary tool.
I am an intuitive artist who translates a moment of vision or a thought, which gives my artwork its originality. Originals, if not digitally printed, will not be reproduced using the same initial art process. That is why every piece is unique and holds special value both for its creator and for the person who wishes to surround themselves with it.
A Brief Autobiography
I was born in France, raised in Beirut, Lebanon, and as of 2018, I live in Norway. At school, I grew up speaking three languages: Arabic, French, and English. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, just like many kids. Then, my father wanted to support my love for drawing by signing me up for drawing classes at a cultural centre in Beirut. There, the teacher from the adult class, a local artist named Hassan Yatim, would visit our class, the kids' class, and review each of our drawings.
One day, I found myself in his class. Mr. Yatim had convinced my father that I would develop my talent better there, and so I became the youngest in the class—a nine-year-old learning charcoal and pencil techniques, light and shadow, the repetition of faces and human anatomy, focal points, and perspectives... just techniques, techniques, and more techniques. It was probably why I hated grey so much until aquarelle classes began. I went through all the sessions and loved drawing more and more.
In the meantime, my performance at school suffered. The punishment for it was "no more culture school". Many years later, I reconnected with Mr. Yatim. He was my mentor for two years, and after that, I continued on my own.
Over the years, both before and after I moved to Norway, my journey as an independent young woman took a toll on me, especially in a suffering Arab Country. I couldn’t complete many academic studies I had signed up for; one by one, they were abandoned due to overwhelming workloads. In total, I accumulated undergraduate studies in Biology, English Translation, and a Bachelor's in Law. All incomplete.
On the other hand, my work experience includes: In Lebanon: bookstore officer, then senior bookstore officer, and sales representative. In Norway: waitress at various places, including shop steward at a large hotel chain; English teacher at an elementary school; cleaner and school assistant at a high school.
The diversity of experiences and knowledge I’ve acquired, though incomplete and interrupted by abrupt economic and personal changes, has often come with the following comments:
"Oh, you can do so many things!", "Wow! It's amazing how you can speak four languages!"
It often felt like I was being labelled a "know-it-all" or dealing with imposter syndrome. In a world of specialization, I can imagine their surprise, but I also think I’m not alone.
I've always admired polymaths like Ibn Sina the physician, philosopher, poet and Al khwarizmi the mathematician, astronomer and geographer from the Arab golden age, as they were not a secret in where I grew up. While I do not consider myself a polymath, I appreciate the value of expertise and believe that exploring diverse interests complements and enriches specialized knowledge. I encourage others to nurture both curiosity and mastery, as they can lead to special insights.
Though I’ve been drawing and painting most of my life, I only decided to share my artistic side with the public and pursue it on a more professional level at the age of 32. It’s never too late. I still wish to complete my education in other fields and improve my language skills. To all those who feel stuck, like I have, in the plurality of fields, I wish them to embrace this richness and dive even deeper for it is a beautiful pandora box. After all, the world belongs to those who don’t limit themselves.
Today, I categorize most of my art within the vast realms of abstract and contemporary, though other styles might emerge. I am often told to limit my artistic style to one and create a recognizable signature style. But I refuse. Reading this brief autobiography should be enough to explain why.
Léa Malas