Christine Safatly
Multidisciplinary artist based in Beirut. Drawing, painting, sculpture and installation — a practice grounded in research, philosophy and lived experience.
Biography
Christine Safatly (b. 1992, Minieh, Lebanon) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Beirut. Her practice spans painting, drawing, sculpture, mixed media and installation, employing a wide range of media.
Safatly is best known for materially and philosophically grounded works that deconstruct the human body and its environment, exploring how material language can express both individual and collective experience. Her work engages with posthumanist thought, critiquing anthropocentrism and emphasising the interdependence between the human body, non-human entities and technological systems.
Her work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions locally and internationally. She held a solo exhibition curated by Art Design Lebanon in 2024. Selected group exhibitions include Freedom Recalled (2025) at Beit Beirut Museum, Beirut; Still Present! at the 12th Berlin Biennale (2022); Scare Tactics at Beirut Art Center (2022); and Lost in the Right Direction (2022) at the Deir el Kalaa ruins, Beit Meri.
Safatly earned a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the Lebanese University in 2018. She was a fellow of Ashkal Alwan’s Home Workspace Program (2019–2020), and in 2023 received a production grant from Culture Resource.
Artist Statement
My artistic practice is grounded in research, philosophy and lived experience, shaped by both individual and collective realities in Lebanon and beyond. I investigate posthumanist thought, critically engaging with anthropocentrism and exploring the interdependence between human bodies, non-human entities and technological systems. Through this lens, I approach art as a method of inquiry and communication, using materiality as a language capable of conveying complex ideas, emotions and embodied experiences.
I work across drawing, painting, sculpture and installation, employing a wide range of media including chemical and natural acrylics, watercolour, spray paint, charcoal, soft and oil pastels, and ink. I often choose unconventional surfaces such as polyester tablecloths and rusted bed sheets, alongside sculptural materials that include industrial, found, natural and synthetic elements — ranging from wire and plastic to latex, silicone, salt and sugar. These materials are not merely formal choices but conceptual tools, carrying social, political and ecological meaning. Their physical properties allow me to explore ideas of contamination, fragility, resilience and transformation.
Central to my practice is the deconstruction of the body — both human and non-human — as a way of examining its inseparability from the environment. I challenge the notion of the body as a closed or autonomous entity, instead understanding it as porous and continuously shaped by ecological systems. Polluted water containing microplastics and toxins moves through rivers, plants and food chains, ultimately becoming part of our own biological makeup. This circulation of matter demonstrates how environmental harm is distributed across bodies and systems, revealing shared vulnerability and responsibility.
Materials as Language
Every surface and substance in the work carries social, political and ecological meaning. Nothing is chosen for its appearance alone.
Media
Chemical and natural acrylics, watercolour, spray paint, charcoal, soft and oil pastels, ink, pencil and feutre.
Surfaces
Polyester and plastic tablecloths, rusted bed sheets, cotton canvas, watercolour pads and paper.
Sculptural Elements
Industrial, found, natural and synthetic matter: wire, plastic, fabric, nails, tape, latex, silicone, salt, sugar and electronics.
Curriculum Vitae
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Education
2016–2018 — Master’s degree in Fine Arts, Lebanese University, Beirut. Thesis: The Use of Living Materials as Art.
2013–2016 — Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Lebanese University, Beirut.
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Solo Exhibitions
2024 — Life Beyond the Self, curated by Art Design Lebanon, the Mayflower Hotel, Hamra, Beirut (LB).
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Group Exhibitions
2025 — Freedom Recalled, Art Design Lebanon, Beit Beirut Museum, Beirut (LB).
2022 — Scare Tactics, Beirut Art Center, Beirut (LB).
2022 — Still Present!, 12th Berlin Biennale, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin (DE).
2022 — Lost in the Right Direction, Art Design Lebanon, Deir el Kalaa ruins, Beit Meri (LB).
2019 — Vices & Validations, Haven for Artists, Institut français du Liban, Beirut (LB). -
Grants & Awards
2024 — Foundation for Art Initiative, Grant for Travel and Research, New York, USA.
2023 — Culture Resource, Production Award, Brussels, Belgium.
2020 — Foundation for Art Initiative, Grant for Travel and Research, New York, USA. -
Residencies
2026 — Boghossian Foundation Residency, Villa Empain, Brussels, Belgium.
2025 — Biomaterials Research Residency, Terrapods, Baskinta, Lebanon.
2019–2020 — Home Workspace Program, 9th edition, Ashkal Alwan, Beirut. -
Teaching & Workshops
2024 — Collage workshop for migrant women (volunteer), Goodwill for Migrants, Beirut.
2023 — #62 PATCHWORK, collaborative mixed-media workshop on architectural heritage with Etienne Coppé, TAKEOVER, Beirut.
2019 — Mask-making workshops for children, 4th Metropolis Youth Film Festival, Metropolis Cinema Association, Beirut.
2017 — Sculpture teacher for adults, Art Corner, Beirut.
2016–2017 — Teacher of plastic arts, Hariri High School 3, Beirut.