Yolande Naufal

‘The feelings of color are reshaped by my psyche, felt and experienced from within myself. I must look within myself, and not around me. I do not mean that I am representing myself, but I affirm that I am my own subject’. Yolande NAUFAL

Yolande Naufal, [June 4, 1949 – January 24, 2023] was a Lebanese artist who lived her entire life in Gemmayze, Beirut.

Her work is associated with naive art, and has been regularly exhibited in Lebanon and abroad in solo and group exhibitions. Her paintings are part of various collections in Lebanon, France, Austria, Sweden, the UK, Denmark, Australia, South Korea, and the USA. Her name and works are featured in several books on art in Lebanon and in the virtual museum of Lebanese contemporary art.

In her creations, Yolande Naufal plays with her imagination and takes us into the labyrinth of her multifaceted works. Her painting is the result of a happy nostalgia for childhood and a beautiful, lively dream.

She started painting late in life after studying at the Lebanese University’s School of Fine Arts. Naufal has a PHD in psychology and worked in research, higher education, and as an art therapist; professions that did not predispose her to painting.

She is the author and illustrator of several books for children, and is the co-founder of the Lebanese Association for Art Education.

The discovery of brushes and colors was a revelation in her life. Since then, painting has become essential to her heart.

Yolande Naufal left behind a rich collection of colorful canvases, imbued with her passion for life and creativity. Her contribution to naive art has been emphasized by numerous tributes and recognitions, and her legacy remains a source of inspiration for all those who seek to find ‘dreaminess, poetry, and a carefree spirit’ in the world around them.