Rana Chalabi

Rana Chalabi is an established Syrian/Lebanese artist who lived in Cairo for over 35 years and now lives between Beirut, Cairo and Amsterdam.

She is a visionary artist whose work spans a number of themes, media and even continents. Her art work reflects her varied interests but is dominated by her interest in movement, both physical and spiritual.

“Movement fascinates me.  It is the challenge of capturing the ephemeral nature of three dimensional dynamic forces through the static media of paper, oil, charcoal and inks.”

 “ The movement of line and color, the interplay of diaphanous veils and cloths, and solid limbs, the sweep of lines and colors make the movement come alive.”

“Even in my works of calligraphic ink it is the movement of both the line and the meaning of the word which makes the work come alive. Movement is life, and I want the viewer to feel that movement”.

Sufism is her abiding love and her dervishes and dancers reflect that passion.  Her watercolors reflect the same diaphanous textures, and try to capture the fascination interplay of colors and light in nature and in architecture. 

Rana has had numerous exhibits in Cairo as well as Paris, London, Vienna, Beirut, the Arab-American Museum in the US and Tokyo.