Nada Ackel

Nada Akl is a prize-winning Lebanese artist who was born in Beirut into a family of architects and classical musicians. She grew up in Paris, and today lives and works between the city and her native Lebanon, where she still has a home.

Akl’s talent was evident early on, with the result that aged 13, she took painting lessons at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA). Four years later, she studied drawing, painting and sculpture at the Oskar Kokoshka Academy in Salzburg, Austria, where she was awarded joint first prize. Back in France, she took courses in visual arts, aesthetics and musicology at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, and painting and sculpture at the American University of Paris. She then furthered her studies in the US, graduating from the State University of New York in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.).

Akl is known for painting both landscapes and figurative works in delicately shaded oils. She has cited her fascination with light in all its guises as one of two concerns in her art, alongside the irretrievable past.

Akl’s landscapes often reference locations that have played an important part in her life, from seascapes in France to rural scenes in Bikfaya, Lebanon and wild, rugged mountain ranges in Russia, sometimes incorporating mythological and fantastical elements that give them an added dimension. 

Her portraits, meanwhile, often recall the American hyperrealist style, sometimes with surrealistic connotations. Hollywood superstars from the Golden Age, among others, are brought to life in meticulous detail, from facial expressions and posture to clothing and surroundings. Drawing on her imagination, Akl transports these celebrities from a bygone era into the familiar, yet private places of her childhood, where they elevate the scene to one of mythical status.

Akl’s work has featured in several solo exhibitions, most recently: Francis Barlier Gallery, Paris (2017 and 2010); Pushkin Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia (2007); Caplain-Matignon Gallery, Paris (2006); Francis Barlier Gallery, Paris (2002); Épreuve d’Artiste Gallery, Beirut (2001); Pushkin Museum, Saint Petersburg (2000); Caplain-Matignon Gallery, Paris (1999); Façade Gallery, Paris (1997); 60 X 70 Gallery, Beirut (1996); Façade Gallery, Paris (1994); 60 X 70 Gallery, Beirut (1992); Institut du Monde Arabe Museum, Paris (1992); Caroline Corre Gallery, Paris (1991); Épreuve d’ Artiste Gallery, Beirut (1988); Caroline Corre Gallery, Paris (1988); Roberta Von Schlossberg Fine Art Gallery, New York (1987); Breteau Gallery, Paris (1986); Cannes Festival, organised by the Gaumont Studios for the 39th Cannes Festival and the 50th Gaumont anniversary (1985); Motte Gallery, Geneva (1985); Faris Gallery, Paris (1984); and ALBA, Beirut (1984).

She has also taken part in several group shows, including a high-profile event titled ‘Walkers: Hollywood Afterlives in Art and Artifact’ at the Museum of the Moving Image, New York (2015-2016).

In addition, Akl’s work has appeared in collectives at: the Contemporary Art Museum of Algiers, Algiers (2007); Cork Gallery, London (2004); International Fine Arts Exhibition, Paris – where she was the winner of the France-Japan prize (2000); Mythical Subject Art Fair, Courbevoie City Hall, France (1991); French Artists Show, Paris (1989); Roberta Von Schlossberg Fine Art Gallery, New York (1988); Caroline Corre Gallery, Paris (1988); Young Artists, Paris Grand Palais, Paris (1986); International Fine Arts Festival, Cagnes-sur-Mer Castle, French Riviera (1985); and Chicago Art Fair, Chicago (1985).

Akl’s work features in several prestigious collections, including those at: the Museum of the Moving Image, New York; the Pushkin Museum, Saint Petersburg; the Institute du Monde Arabe, Paris; and the Sursock Museum, Beirut. It is also referenced in several prestigious publications, including: The Observer; Artforum; Paris-Match; Beaux-Arts; The Herald Tribune; Art in America; and Vedomosti.