NAFAS, 100 Lebanese artists in residence in France
Despite Lebanon having been hit by a whole host of crises, plunging the country and some of its people into a very precarious situation, the French Institute and the French Institute of Lebanon have launched the NAFAS emergency programme with 100 places for Lebanese artists in residence, co-financed by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and the French Ministry of Culture, and in partnership with the Association of Cultural Meeting Centres. The first calls for applications resulted in 80 artists being selected to be in residence in over fifty French partner cultural centres until summer 2022.
The French Institute’s scheme for artisans in the world of art
These schemes are complemented by a section dedicated to arts and crafts implemented by the French Institute, with the support of GALOP (Hermès’ exclusive dealer in Lebanon) and the collaboration of the French Institute of Lebanon. The scheme has been designed in partnership with over fifteen host structures, to provide 20 residencies between May and October 2022 throughout mainland France, in all sectors of the arts and crafts.
GALOP (Hermès’ exclusive dealer in Lebanon) is a recognised patron of the arts and crafts sector. Its support is specifically geared towards setting up artists’ residencies combining creation, production and training for the women and men with the traditional and more recent skills of Lebanese artisans, who are known for their richness and diversity but are poorly represented on the international scene.
THE NAFAS PROGRAMME AT LA BORNE
The Contemporary Ceramic Centre of La Borne (CCCLB) and the Ceramics Association of La Borne (ACLB) are playing host to the Lebanese artist Nathalie Khayat from 1 to 30 September 2022.
Ceramists Anne-Marie Kelecom and Charlotte Poulsen, both members of the ACLB, have agreed to participate in this programme. They will share their workshops and their living spaces in order to create a space for sharing knowledge and ceramic techniques.
The artist’s residency will conclude with a firing in Charlotte Poulsen’s wood-fired kiln, allowing Nathalie Khayat to experiment with one of the traditional skills of our village, which is a reference in the world of stoneware and wood-fired kilns.
This programme has been co-financed by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture and is delivered by a consortium of partners consisting of the French Institute (lead partner), the Association of Cultural Encounter Centres and the French Institute of Lebanon.
It is supported by the National Centre for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC), local regional authorities (South Region, Hauts-de-France, Centre-Val de Loire, New Aquitaine, as well as the City and Metropolis of Lyon), the French UNESCO Creative Cities Committee (Cities of Angoulême, Enghien-les-Bains, Limoges, Lyon and Metz), and in partnership with over fifty host organisations.
The NAFAS programme benefits from the sponsorship by GALOP (the exclusive Hermès dealer in Lebanon).
Nathalie Khayat
Nathalie Khayat (b.1966) is a ceramist living and working in Beirut, Lebanon. Oscillating between the poetic and the functional, Khayat creates sculptural pieces that range from decorative entities to utilitarian objects. Her deconstructed vessels are in dialogue with the clay from which they are formed – a contemplation, a projection from inner silence to exterior landscapes, from stillness to movement. She has participated in exhibitions at Agial Gallery, Lebanon (2010, 2015); Beirut Art Center, Lebanon (2011); Sursock Museum, Lebanon (2016); Paris Design Week, France (2014); Art Dubai, UAE (2014, 2016); PAD London, UK (2013, 2014); and PAD Paris, France (2013, 2014). Her work is part of the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, UK.
https://artdesignlebanon.com/artist/nathalie-khayat/
Read more about Nathalie Khayat :
www.nathaliekhayat.com