In My City Over the Egg (2020) Assi portrays the vivacity and contradictions of Beirut above the iconic Egg building. The building was erected in 1965 but never finished because of the Lebanese Civil War and remained abandoned. During the October 17 uprising, the Egg was reclaimed as a public space, becoming a revived landmark representing the hope that was felt throughout the protests. The work features many details reflective of the contradictions of Beirut that layer and intermingle vertically. Assi reflects on her work: “I’ve constructed this base above the Egg because we were going through such instability in Lebanon. But there was hope. That’s why I loved the stairs, which I emphasised, because you’re climbing up and going to a better future. At the same time, with the structure, you feel it might crumble. This was a menace for the revolution the whole time: Will it survive? I liked playing with the fragility of the structure, whereas the Egg is solid — holding all this above it.” 

Zena Assi (Lebanese, b. 1974) manoeuvres her practice by trying to uncover the interactions and clashes that arise between individuals and their surrounding socio-political environment, often focusing on themes of migration and nostalgia. Assi’s oeuvre stylizes the historical imprints of Lebanon on its contemporary urban landscapes. She works in a variety of formats including installation, drawing, etching, experimental animations, sculpture, and most predominantly, painting. Her body of paintings portray eccentric depictions of the city, intriguing still-lifes, and bouquets composed of strange objects. 

She completed her education at l'Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts (ALBA). After working in the advertising industry for a period, she taught in a number of universities. Assi has won several prizes throughout her artistic career including: the Sunny Dupree Family Award, London, 2020; the Rosemary & Co Award, London, 2018; and the Special Jury Prize of the XXIX Autumn Salon of the Sursock Museum, Beirut, 2009. 

Held in several public and private collections, Assi’s work has also been exhibited in solo and group shows globally. Some notable mentions include: Galerie Tanit, Beirut; Alwane gallery, Beirut; Artsawa gallery, Dubai; Zoom Art Fair, Miami; Espace Claude Lemand, Paris; Cairo Biennale; Katzen Arts Center of American University, Washington D.C.; CAP Contemporary Art Platform Gallery Space, Kuwait; Art13 & Art14 London Fair; IWM Imperial War Museum, London; Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris; the Royal Academy, London; and the 57th Venice Art Biennale. Today, Assi lives and works in London.