Yvette Achkar

A twin, Yvette Achkar was born in Sao Paolo, Brazil to Lebanese parents. She was raised in Lebanon, where her initial plan was to become a pianist, but after failing in her application to the Lebanese National Conservatory, she applied to the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA), on the advice of Fernando Manetti, a professor there, and was accepted. After graduating, Achkar continued her studies in Paris, having been awarded a scholarship by the French government. Upon her return to Lebanon, she taught painting at ALBA and the National Institute of Fine Arts of the Lebanese University for more than 20 years.

Achkar was one of a young group of pioneers on the local arts scene that were unshackling themselves from tradition and embracing freer forms of expression. Trained by Manetti and influenced by Georges Cyr, she evolved from a figurative painter to an artist who found her individual style in abstract expressionism, creating works with feathery brushstrokes or sponging and rubbing her oils, using bold colours and lines, carefully considered and placed, to evoke a range of emotions. Achkar has long enjoyed recognition as an established artist. Her work has featured in solo and collective exhibitions in Lebanon and abroad, including shows in the UAE, the US, Europe, and Brazil.