'SHINY DAY' - Oil on Canvas

My artworks in Collage and Oil Paintings are varied, ranging from city scenes and local landscapes to heritage and nostalgia, that are reflections of topical issues and moments. I encounter in day-to-day life. I’m inspired by what’s around me. Even when I travel, my work reflects my surroundings and my mood.


Haibat Balaa (1952) received her BA in Fine Arts from Beirut University College now (the Lebanese American University) in 1975. She has taught in the Lebanese American University for 17 years. Since 2001-2022 Balaa is the Fine Arts Coordinator at the American University of Science and Technology (AUST).

She has participated in collective exhibitions in AUB, LAU, ALBA, Haigazian, Galerie Rochane, Station Des Arts, Sursock Museum, Grand Palais de Paris, Cairo, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrein, Kuwait, AUB, LAU among others. She was invited to participate in the 8th Biennale in Beijing (2019).

Haibat Balaa held solo exhibitions at Amateur Gallery (1991), Epreuve d’Artist (1996), Espace SD (2006), Galerie Alwan (2010), AUST (2012), Art On 56th (2014) and Agial Gallery (2018), Art On 56th (2023), Khawla for Art and Culture in Dubai and Abou Dhabi (2023)

In 1982, she was awarded the first and only prize by the Central Bank of Lebanon for designing a new Lebanese currency. Also got the first and unique prize in Makhoul show in 1979 and 1980.

A monograph of her work was published in 2012 titled “ Haibat Balaa Bawab: The Art of Collage”. Balaa composed AUST publications titled “Beyond the Medium I” and “Beyond the Medium II”.
Haibat Balaa is a member of the Lebanese Association of Painters and Sculptors and a member in the Artists Syndicate.

Artist Statement

This exhibition focuses on a series of Collages and Oil Paintings that reflect a range of current and topical subjects, memories, and daily life from the life and times of today’s current situation

My process involves making compositions that are semi abstract from textures and motifs which I gather. The recent and biggest changes I’ve made in this collection is to prepare the papers rather than take clippings from the surrounding. I like to take my time deciding what media, techniques or textures to use. Acrylic, ink, gouache and or other media using different art techniques, for example calligraphy, etching or silkscreen… The works take much longer to produce, but I feel satisfied to do this process. They are also multimedia in form, still dominated by collage themes.

My artworks in Collage and Oil Paintings are varied, ranging from city scenes and local landscapes to heritage and nostalgia, that are reflections of topical issues and moments. I encounter in day-to-day life. I’m inspired by what’s around me. Even when I travel, my work reflects my surroundings and my mood.