"Four years ago I was reborn – not in the religious sense. I walked into my university art class and suddenly, I could communicate with clarity, understand and be understood, I was able to convey the depth of my being, visually, through painting and art. I gave myself permission to reveal my soul on canvas and yet for the first twenty-one years of my existence, I had hid myself from fear and insecurity. My dyslexia not only manifests in my artwork, but I channel it to honor the part of me which it is – and challenge everything else to awaken and heighten”. Yara Chaalan, Artist

My arts education over the past four years at the Lebanese American University was not only defining, but moreover, transformational and arguably, life-saving for me. The experience not only develop a firm foundation in the arts, but inspired my collective courage, and confidence. Admittedly and candidly, my range of art grew tremendously during college. Prior to such, I’d often felt out of place, never really excelling in any particular domain. I grew up in a very loving and supportive home, the middle child between talented and encouraging sisters, yet struggled with Attention Deficiency Disorder and Dyslexia. Growing up, chiefly at school, I often felt inadequate and school was more like a battleground than a safe place of learning. Words often failed me or were inadequate to express my thoughts and feelings. When I started college, I found myself gravitating towards the arts and taking courses that began erasing confusion and replacing with clarity. There are endless ways in which art can be created, and unlimited imaginations are brought to life challenging traditional narratives and interpretations. Art is a domain where I am finally able to express myself without feeling limited by my literary capacities.

While I was born in the US, I have grown up in Beirut which is large city, thereby interactions with nature felt scarce. But on the weekends, like most Lebanese people, our family would travel to the mountainside. There, I was surrounded by not only my loved ones, but incredible nature, and my senses would be stimulated by the abundance of color, sounds and silence, solitude and company. Even in my paintings which do not have elements of nature, there is a clear use of color, inspired by the greenery and landscapes. In some sense, I believe mastering abstract art is a way to confront my previous insecurities and confusion.