Nadia Saikali is a renowned Lebanese painter born in 1936. Saikali graduated from the Beirut Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA) in 1956. She then pursued further studies at L’Académie de la Grande Chaumière and L’École des Arts Decoratifs in Paris in the 1960s before moving to Glasgow. Through a unique blend of abstract and figurative styles, she often explores themes of nature and human spirituality. 

She says: “Too many people theorize and politicize about one's choice of colors in painting. This is not what I put forward in my works. After having focused my attention on the four elements mentioned in the Genesis: Earth- Fire- Water- Air, I now feel like expressing freely my joy to be alive and at peace.”

Her works have been exhibited worldwide and are housed in prestigious collections such as the National Fund of Contemporary Art, Paris; The Royal Institute Galleries, London; The Chase Manhattan Bank, New York and the Sursock Collection, Beirut.

“Silhouette en Mouvement” is an acrylic/collage on canvas and a more recent work of Saikali’s. It shows figures that seem to be slowly walking toward the top of the canvas, but never reaching it. The placement of red leads the eye in a circle, which adds to the illusion of movement in the piece. There’s a fragility to the medium used by the artist, giving the impression that the traveling figures wither as they get closer to the top of the canvas, which could indicate a long and delicate journey on the horizon.