Chirine Sayegh

Chirine Sayegh is a Lebanese architect and artist who was born in Beirut and raised in the US. She studied at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA), gaining a Master’s in Architecture in 2003.

Firmly established for several years in the world of interiors, furniture design and architecture, Chirine Sayegh is now also well known for her captivating paintings and sculptures. In these works, she clearly harnesses her creative techniques, while also channelling her beliefs and convictions onto the canvas, from a signature use of space to working with sustainable materials in their original form. Chirine’s artworks often shine a spotlight on Lebanese landscapes, in pieces that reflect her love of nature and the great outdoors, especially hiking in the country’s famous mountains. 

Chirine Sayegh’s landmark first ‘Minéral’ series (2014) which she presented in her inaugural solo show at ALBA, Sin el Fil in 2016, is a celebration of the rock formations that feature across Lebanon’s mountainous terrain. The landscapes of Afqa, Batroun, Feytroun, Sannine and Tannourine are among those featured.

In these works, Chirine uses a palette knife to recreate these fascinating structures, complete with textured ridges, in paintings that meld abstract lines with the fluid brushstrokes reminiscent of the impressionists she so admires. Vibrant colours, from arresting violets to bold bright greens, add an unexpected dimension and individual touch. 

Commenting at the time of the show, the art critic Nélida Nasser described the scenes as “lyrical expressions of the particular qualities of light in the locations she chooses and remembers, atmospherically accurate and evocative of movement and strength…”

In later series, Chirine Sayegh juxtaposes these rock formations with other wonders of nature. ‘Minéral – Sea’ (2022), for example, sees her inspired by Lebanon’s beaches in Batroun. The country’s rich flora and verdure, including its signature cedars, are explored in other works forming the ‘Végétal – Trees’ series (2010/2021). ‘Végétal - Gold’ (2021/2023) has a different feel to it presenting viewers with delicate watercolours depicting flowers in bloom and fields, enhanced by gold leaf.

Aside from her 2016 solo exhibition ‘Minéral’, Chirine Sayegh has also taken part in several group shows. These include: ‘The Edit’, AlSerkal Avenue, Dubai (2022); ‘L’Expo du Coeur’, ALBA, Sin el Fil (2022); ‘Haut en Bleu’, Galerie les Plumes, Ashrafieh (2022); ‘Art Defined - A Tribute to Modern and Contemporary Art’, curated by The Gallerist at Rebirth Beirut, Gemmayzeh (2022); ‘Pop of Hope’, Espace Matisse, Ashrafieh (2022); OFF / SITE, Hotel Le Grey, Beirut Art Fair (2019); and ‘Artmonies’, Crypts of St Joseph Church (2010). Sayegh has also taught sketching at ALBA since 2014.