Articles

Art in the press

Art Of Change unveils a huge Mural by Roula Abdo who pays Homage to Huguette Caland and Emily Nasrallah

Art Of Change unveils a huge Mural by Roula Abdo who pays Homage to Huguette Caland and Emily Nasrallah with a mural in Hamra, Beirut.

On October 16th, 2019 Roula Abdo began painting the largest mural of her professional career, the largest mural to date painted by a Lebanese female artist.

Mural by Roula Abdo

The Mural ‘I Am A Story’ pays homage to the lives and achievements of two inspirational and respected women from Lebanon, Huguette Caland, and Emily Nasrallah. Emily Nasrallah was a prolific multi-award-winning writer and Huguette Caland was an accomplished Painter, Sculptor, and designer. Both Women used their careers and their lives to promote the love of life and to champion freedom.

These two ladies left an indelible mark on Lebanese society embodying freedom of expression providing not only inspiration but to act as pioneers for the younger generations to follow and continue the path that Hugette and Emily forged in the face of many hardships.
The mural was commissioned by Women Deliver, an international NGO based out of New York that works to champion the plight of women and inspires present and future generations to seek equality and to strive for success. This mural was intended as part of an international campaign which has sadly been deferred due to the global crises we have faced.
The mural commenced on October 16th, 2019 and was cut short by the uprising of October 17th.
Once events had stabilized Roula returned to her work, supported by the talented Mary Shammas, and they finished this poetic and beautiful Mural on November 9th, 2019 – ever since the mural has remained a secret hidden gem of Hamra.
Now, on November 9th, 2020, the first anniversary of the completion of the artwork we formally unveil the mural, paying gratitude to Roula Abdo for such a beautiful work and to the respective families of Huguette and Emily for their support, a mark of respect to the families and a tribute to what these 2 amazing women achieved.

Notes For Editor

For further images and to arrange interviews/photo opportunities
Contact: Imane Assaf, [email protected] OR Jason Camp, [email protected]

About the Artist Roula Abdo

Roula Abdo “RU” is a Beirut-born visual Artist that received her master’s degree in Fine Arts from the Lebanese University - Institute of Fine Arts.
Roula was always intrigued by the human figure and its condition. This fascination is translated in her work as she merges realistic everyday human states with abstract elements. Through her
paintings and murals, she is always on a quest for communication, striving to catch the flow of thoughts along with the conceptual and expressive act of words and the imagery it portrays.

About Art of Change: Art Of Change continues to push the boundaries of visual Arts, both within Lebanon and internationally. Having completed more than 200 public artworks across Lebanon including some of the most iconic artworks of the revolution along with major full-size murals standing more than 20m high. In the post-corona world, Art Of Change has created the first Virtual and fully interactive Art Gallery along with a Street view to see the public art gallery.

Art of Change was founded by Imane Assaf and Jason Camp in 2019 to establish Urban and Street Art as a recognized art-form in Lebanon that enhances environments and communities. We have a working studio where artists can gather and collaborate, developing a growing reputation for the creation of public art across Lebanon.