Beirut: The artist Nada Sehnaoui is presenting her solo exhibition entitled "Flowers Blossomed Out of Broken Concrete" at kensho, curated by Saleh Barakat, with a text by Marie Tomb. The exhibition is grounded in a poignant narrative, born from the aftermath of the August 4, 2020, explosion at the port of Beirut, which claimed 218 lives and left thousands injured. Sehnaoui's studio was among the many spaces destroyed, prompting a creative response that saw her transform canvas into sculptural forms, held together with layers of paint, until flowers emerged from the devastation.
According to National news agency - Lebanon, Sehnaoui's work is a testament to resilience rather than optimism or naivety, embodying a natural force that challenges the erasure of memory following conflict and upheaval. The exhibition showcases her latest series, "Flowers Blossomed Out of Broken Concrete," alongside two other poignant collections.
"Loin des Mauvaises Nouvelles du Monde" (2018-2022) explores the faint possibility of a world without violence, presenting ethereal canvases with circular forms that counter the constant stream of distressing news. Meanwhile, "How Many, How Many More" (2015-2019) responds to regional conflicts with layered canvases that blend personal and collective experiences, demonstrating that resistance is a sustained effort rather than a singular act.
The exhibition will be open to the public until January 11, 2026, at kensho in Mar Mikhael, Beirut, with visiting hours from 12 pm to 11 pm daily, except Mondays. Visitors can expect to engage with Sehnaoui's exploration of war's scars, memory, and identity.
Nada Sehnaoui, a Beirut-based visual artist, has been addressing themes of war, memory, and identity through her work since the early 1990s. Known for incorporating objects and archival images into her paintings, Sehnaoui provokes discussions about trauma's enduring impact. Her large-scale public installations have made her a seminal figure in the Lebanese and Middle Eastern art scene, using everyday objects to address the memory of war and the necessity of collective healing.