Fatat Bahmad

Fatat Bahmad is a Lebanese contemporary painter who was born in 1973 in Beirut, known for creating paintings of lush flowers in bloom and rural scenes in contrasting vibrant and delicate colours, and bold brushstrokes.

Bahmad and her family relocated to Kfar Melki, in the Sidon District of southern Lebanon at the beginning of the civil war. It was here that she developed a fascination with colour and shape, whiling away time amassing buttons and threads to make art, while also exploring the village’s delightful natural surroundings. During these years, Bahmad formed a deep connection with nature and, despite returning to Beirut to pursue her studies, has remained inspired by Kfar Melki’s flora, foliage and picturesque scenery in her art, still spending countless hours there today.

Fatat Bahmad studied at the Institute of Fine Arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut, graduating with a BA in painting in 1994. She later enrolled at The Institute of Oriental Letters, University Saint Joseph and obtained her MA in Education in 2010.

Her artworks pay tribute to the natural beauty of the country’s southern region, with its seasonal highlights captured in oil on canvas and wood, and sometimes watercolour on paper, in a rich medley of colours that are oftentimes pastel and at other times vibrant. Her art has been described as influenced by Impressionism, Expressionism and Fauvism, with all three in evidence in her lush landscapes that include rolling hills featuring a tapestry of fields divided by colour and crop, summertime flora in private gardens, blooms in vases and seaside scenes. Uplifting and bursting with life, Bahmad’s compositions leave audiences in no doubt about their creator’s love for nature. 

Fatat Bahmad’s work has been exhibited widely in Lebanon and abroad. She held her first solo show in 2004 at Zamen Gallery, Lebanon, with several others following, including exhibitions at: Ourjouwan Gallery, Lebanon (2013); ‘A Language of Spring’, Artspace Hamra (2017); and National Centre of Visual Arts, Damascus (2020). In 2022, her work was the subject of a solo show on Artscoops, titled ‘Life in Full Bloom’.

Bahmad’s art has also featured in several collectives. In 2016, it was showcased in a dual show at Artspace Hamra with the work of fellow Lebanese artist Louma Rabah. Titled ‘True Colours: An Exhibition of Recent Works by Fatat Bahmad and Louma Rabah’, the show invited audiences to “visit and explore the still lives, interior and exterior spaces opened up in this dialogue of colours between two distinguished Lebanese artists”. In 2016, Fatat Bahmad’s work was also shown at the 32nd Salon d’Automne at the Sursock Museum.

During her career, Fatat Bahmad has taken part in a range of special artwork activities in Lebanon and Europe. In addition, she has taught art in local schools since 1995. Bahmad divides her time between Beirut and Kfar Melki.