Aline Fattal

Aline Fattal is a Belgian-Lebanese artist who has lived in Beirut since the 1970s.

A mother of two children, her practice is informed by a love for nature, including Lebanon’s countryside and natural wonders that she has come across on her travels, notably during visits to Brazil and Italy.

Fattal’s paintings range from picturesque rural scenes of rolling hills and tapestried fields to potted plants and cottage gardens, brought to life in vibrant, bold oils on canvas. She captures Lebanon at its best across the seasons, including the snow-capped peaks of Mount Lebanon in winter and houses, edged with leafy trees and flowers in bloom, bathed in summertime’s Mediterranean sunshine. 

Uplifting in both the colour palette used and subjects chosen, Fattal’s paintings exhibit a naivety that makes them easy on the eye. However, her canvases mask a serious aspect which aligns with her critical view of key topical world issues, including environmental concerns. Solitary trees, set against a vast landscape, and withered flowers in a vase remind us of the fragility of so much of the natural world and our responsibilities towards it.

Fattal’s artworks were showcased in 2022 on Artscoops in a solo exhibition titled ‘Tales of the Lebanese Countryside’. She was also one of 100 artists who took part in an exhibition in 2020 called ‘Draw me a Cedar’, held at Résidence des Pins. Marking Greater Lebanon’s 100-year anniversary, and organized by Green Cedar Lebanon to support local talent and the Lebanese Food Bank, the initiative brought together artists and artisans, ranging from painters and sculptors to jewellers and couturiers, to each create a work inspired by the cedar, the country’s national tree.

In addition, Fattal’s paintings featured in a collective exhibition of works by 57 independent artists, curated by Grace and Emmanuel Guiragossian, and with the support of Bekdache Artist Home, held at Hotel Le Gray in 2019 as an off-site initiative forming part of the tenth edition of Beirut Art Fair.

Other shows in which Fattal has taken part include the 2016 edition of ‘Art for Life’, a yearly charitable event, held at Le Yacht Club, Beirut gallery.