NEVINE MATTAR: Wood and paper mache, Homage to Matisse’s Cutouts

NEVINE MATTAR

Nevine Mattar, a Lebanese artist, explores various artistic expressions through diverse media. Educated in Japan, Beirut, London, Los Angeles, and New York, she studied Sumi-e, painting, and illustration. Actively involved in civic activities promoting recycling arts, she founded Lebanon’s first Paper-Mache Association and chaired art juries nurturing new talents. Since 1983, she annually exhibits in capitals worldwide.

Mattar, also a Cultural Studies lecturer at Lebanese universities, incorporates collage and mixed media to create three-dimensional spaces, often inspired by theater set designs. Her career began with the solo exhibit “La Femme Fleur” in 1982, followed by yearly displays both domestically and internationally, often themed around concepts like Visualizing Opera and the Influence of Jazz on Visual Arts. Her upcoming exhibit, “A Fauvist View of Beirut,” explores the city’s diversity through emotive colors.

Awarded as the Prince Osmani Mediterranean Center’s best female visual artist for 2021, she now serves as the center’s cultural ambassadress.