Who is Alaa ?
An icon for hope, a women’s supporter and a nature lover, Alaa was born in Damascus, Syria in 1989. Alaa believes that the link between human and nature is very strong to build a better community whatever the circumstances are. In 2003, Alaa started to study art in Al Sayed Atelier in Syria to develop her innate skills and gain art academic talents. In 2005, she participated in an international competition organized by Virginia Commonwealth University of Qatar Foundation and was honored in Damascus for winning the first prize in the competition. Alaa continued her art study in Damascus and developed her artistic techniques, which are reflected in her paintings.
In 2015 when the war in Syria was well underway, Alaa left her home in Damascus and moved to Iraq where she pursued her career as an architect. Alaa’s passion for painting was never extinguished despite the difficult circumstances she lived through. In 2017, Alaa held her first solo exhibition in Erbil, Iraq. The exhibition lasted for several days and was titled ‘’HOPE’’. The attendance exceeded expectations with great impressions and valuable opinions. Hope was a symbol of optimism in Alaa’s paintings. She simplified human life in two colors; the white color (representing hope) and the black color (representing dark moments) to express her faith: ‘’Hope is the mental and physical cure to recover the sight of beauty all over the world’’. In March 2018, Alaa participated in a joint exhibition for International Women’s Day which was organized by University of Kurdistan in Erbil, Iraq. For this exhibition, Alaa celebrated women’s power by choosing paintings that symbolized women’s beauty, courage and love.
For the most part of her life in Erbil, Iraq, Alaa committed to spreading her passion in art by teaching drawing and painting principles. In 2021 Alaa moved to France ‘’the country of art’’ where she currently lives and where she is working to enhance and refine her artistic skills.
The story of her art
Alaa depicts natural scenes as she feels and sees them, far away from their reality. She combines nature, animals and humans to give an integrated story consistent with its elements and colors. She creates her paintings based on her belief that: ‘’The relationship between human and nature is fading over time, the colors we used to feel and see in trees, flowers and mountains, are being converted into shadows because of human practices on planet. Nature should always remain the internal power of all creatures. ’’
Alaa believes that the basics of a great and happy life that everyone is striving for, are all united in each woman. ‘’Women are the core of community’’ as she says, so she visualizes women as the source of love, courage and beauty which co-exist in their entity.
Alaa uses parts of animals’ body and connects them with the women she creates to keep the strong relationship that has always existed between animals and humans since ever. She uses colors and smooth brush lines to strengthen their co-existence.
What gives further uniqueness to Alaa’s artwork is the floating peacocks, swans and horses that decorate the paintings, symbolizing power, passion, pride and self-esteem.
About me
Name: Alaa Khayat
Availability: Annecy, France
“Hope is the mental and physical cure to recover the sight of beauty all over the world”
Exhibitions:
“Hope” – solo exhibition: July 2017, Erbil-Iraq.
“International women day” – group exhibition: March 2018, Erbil-Iraq.
“Harmony” – solo exhibition: June 2022, Annecy-France.