Biography
Afaf Zurayk, born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1948, is a distinguished painter and writer. She earned her BA in Fine Arts from the American University of Beirut in 1970, followed by an MA from Harvard University in 1972. Influenced by both music and poetry, her art delves into the “fluctuating gradations of emotional experience,” expressed through intense painterly markings that capture movement and flux, a technique evident in both her figurative and abstract works. More recently, her paintings have evolved to embody a resounding stillness, where space emotionally expands to contain and emit energy.
Zurayk has exhibited extensively, with solo shows in Beirut and Washington, DC, and notable participation in group exhibitions such as *Forces of Change* at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC. Her work is part of prestigious collections, including the British Museum in London, the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah, and the Sursock Museum in Beirut. In 2017, she was awarded the Jouhayna Baddoura Prize for art.
In addition to her artistic practice, Zurayk has taught at the American University of Beirut, the Lebanese American University, the Corcoran College of Art and Design, and Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Her written works, paralleling her art, explore themes of love and transcendence, offering profound reflections on human values and aspirations. Zurayk continues to live and work in Beirut, Lebanon.
Artwork
