paper torn showing image of denise nassar

about me

denise nassar

Denise Nassar is a self-taught painter and photographer who started focusing on photography in the early 90's when she made several trips to Lebanon, documenting her native country's post-war devastation and rebirth. Meanwhile, she kept on photographing her adoptive city, New York and other places in the world, and still found time to paint, whether in her grandma's Brooklyn backyard, or in the Art Students League's Manhattan studios. In New York, she held two solo shows in both media, participated in many group shows and silent auctions, and has been selling her work independently to art lovers and collectors in NY, LA, Paris, London, Dubai, Amman, etc. Her work has been featured in both US and international publications.

works

vision

In a world of unrest and confusion, photography is for now, my preferred language. It allows me moments of peace, revelation and communication.
I am drawn to spontaneous compositions which start with a certain emotional response to diverse subjects ranging from people in the street to nature and architecture. My photographs are instinctive, basically never staged and freely come through as thought provoking.

paper torn of a black and white photograph of metro and people passing by

testimonials

publications

I am proud to share with you some of the publications concerning my photographs and paintings.

In her pursuit of a dynamic aesthetic, Ms. Nassar relies on the gesture rather than the construct. Her paintings are compilations of strokes, splashes and scratches applied with swift directness. Her colors are as direct as her strokes and as urgent as her splashes and so is her choice of material that ranges from off-the-shelf oil paints to raw pigment and earth. Ms. Nassar's style is remarkable for its ability to render at once vigorous tension and quaint calm, both values that underlie her drive. Like her painting style, her work appears in spurts, usually after a hiatus and invariably in response to events in her world and ours. These events could be as personal as a reflection on a summer afternoon on Long Island, and as expansive as cosmic balance. Having grown up in war-torn Beirut and now an avid New Yorker and former resident of Tribeca, her insight into the beauty and tragedy of both cities is most eloquent. The works in this show were completed in 2001 and 2002.

o. abusitta

curator
"And I, infinitesimal being, drunk with the great starry void, likeness, image of mystery, felt myself a pure part of the abyss, I wheeled with the stars, my heart broke loose on the wind." (Neruda) With the complex kaleidoscope of form and color, one can identify the dynamic aesthetic found in Ms. Nassar's paintings. They come by chance, light and movement, contrast and harmony, stroke by stroke, layer by layer. These works are celebratory experiences contrasting dual states of mind: struggle with freedom, sorrow with joy, and turmoil with hope. Some speak and bear witness, while others contemplate celestial images in motion. One is immediately taken with Ms. Nassar's ability to invite the viewer to contemplate the lightness of mark and movement, and at the same time, draw from their emotional complexity. These are illuminated works of art, unlocking the secrets of existence with richness and clarity.

ann n. sgarlatta

curator
تعرض المصورة الفنانة دنيز نصار صورا لصيادي عين المريسة في ‏(Williamsburg Art and Historical Center (WAH في بروكلين في محاولة لتسليط الضوء على جمال الساحل اللبناني. نصار التي تسكن في الولايات المتحدة منذ أكثر من 30 عاما قالت ل Lebanon Files أنها تحاول التقاط "لحظات عابرة هادئة في عالم محفوف بالمخاطر ولا سيما في بلدي الأصل لبنان". أضافت نصار التي نشأت في رأس بيروت وأمضت فيها طفولتها قبل الإنتقال الى الولايات المتحدة: "أردت تصوير جوهر العيش اللبناني وسكينة صيادي عين المريسة". وهي اختارت إسم Hombres tranquilos أي "رجال هادئون" لمعرض صورها. وأضافت:"أحاول أن ألتقط لحظات إجتماعية لا تزال ناجية من خطر الزوال بسبب جشع المطورين المعماريين غير المسؤولين الذين يجرفون الساحل اللبناني". ورداً على سؤال، اردفت نصار التي كانت اللبنانية الوحيدة من ضمن مجموعة فنانين عالميين في المعرض:" جئت بأزرق بحر لبنان فيما نيويورك ترزح تحت الثلج والبرد القارص" .

rana el fil

reporter
"And I, infinitesimal being, drunk with the great starry void, likeness, image of mystery, felt myself a pure part of the abyss, I wheeled with the stars, my heart broke loose on the wind." (Neruda) هل ثمة من شعر بقدوم الثورة الى لبنان؟ هذا ما تشهد له عدسة المصورة الفنانة دنيز نصار التي تعرض صورا عن لبنان قبيل الثورة في مركز الفنون والتاريخ - ويليامسبورغ في بروكلين- نيويورك.‬ ‫نصار هاجرت من لبنان الى الولايات المتحدة منذ أكثر من 30 عاماً، لكن كالكثير من المغتربين، بلدها الأم لا يفارق أفكارها. وحين اندلعت الثورة، شعرت بالإنزعاج، كما قالت ل "ليبانون فايلز"، لعدم قدرتها على الذهاب الى لبنان. فما كان منها الا ان انكبت على صور إلتقطتها للبنان وإذ بها تجد إشارات الى قدوم الثورة.‬ ‫إحدى الصور تُظهر رجلاً يرتدي قميصاً من اللون الأحمر يحدق في هاتفه الخلوي على رصيف كورنيش بحر بيروت، وهو يدير ظهره الى المدينة، فيما البحر هادئ وعمود الإنارة ملتوٍ "وكأنه الهدوء قبل العاصفة" كما تقول نصار. وتُظهِر صورة أخرى، بالأسود والأبيض، أرضاً غير ثابتة، وكأنها على وشك الغرق او الانهيار، فيما يحاول شخص التقاط اللحظة قبل ان تختفي الشمس الى الابد. وتقول نصار: "هذا ما أشعر به حالياً بالنسبة للوضع في لبنان".‬ ويستمر المعرض من 8 شباط الى 15 آذار 2020‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

rana el fil

reporter
When Lebanese American artist Denise Nassar found out that two airplanes hit the two buildings she lived next to for a decade, she started throwing dirt. On Sept. 11, 2001, Ms. Nassar, who now lives in Brooklyn, NewYork, put a canvas up in her backyard and began expressing herself with the earth. When she finished, she added some strokes of red oil paint. "I was throwing on the canvas, I was angry," Ms. Nassar says. 9-11 brought back my experience in Lebanon during the war like an injection, in one shot. It took me years to heal from the war -- which violence I had experienced for six years including the Israeli invasion of Lebanon." "9-11 brought back the shot. All Americans were not familiar with the implications and the roots of the tragedy. We were too wise. We [Lebanese]have lived through this." Now, that painting - called "September 11, 2001" - is on display along with 17 other oil paintings at SPIN in her Bay Ridge neighborhood. It is her first solo exhibition. "You need to express yourself," Ms. Nassar says. A room in her house contains boxes of photographs of the World Trade Center, taken when she lived three blocks away in the early 1990s. Ms. Nassar, 47, isn't just a painter on her way to stardom. She's also an accomplished photographer and is planning a solo show in photography on Beirut with a special theme to be announced soon. Most of her prized photos were taken in Beirut. LebWorld caught up with Ms. Nassar this week to discuss her artwork display, life as a Lebanese American and of course, as an artist. LW: So this is your first solo show. Nassar: I have been in group shows of course, but this is my first solo, yes. I did 25 pieces in less than a year. It is not normal to do 25 paintings and hide them at home. Then you are really sick. LW: When did you start painting? Nassar: Well, I was always creative. I was taking photos as I was traveling but never took photography seriously. Then I started working in advertising as a creative writer for an international ad agency in Lebanon and was involved with creative stuff. Then I came to America in 1978, the first time, and stayed till 1982, one week before the Israeli invasion. My father was sick. I stayed until January 1985. In 1991, I was working in the Interior Design field and wasn't happy with my job. So I'd go to the Art Students League at night and paint. Every time I finished a painting, a student or teacher would ask, 'Are you a textile designer?' I did it and hung them in my apartment. Then I totally forgot about it and started thinking about my photography much more. Then I was losing my apartment in the West Village in 2001. I was under such high pressure, I said, I am either going to paint or I am going to have a stroke. LW: How did you start photography? Nassar: When I moved to Tribeca in 1988 I had a beautiful apartment overlooking the Hudson River. The architecture there is beautiful, mainly post-modernist, and Tribeca was still a secret. My friends thought that I was crazy to live down there because it was too isolated. I took tons of photos of the World Trade Center. I have them in boxes. LW: Are you trying to make a political statement with your work? Nassar: I don't use my paintings as a tool. But they are a means for me to express myself and to communicate with the public. When I paint, I don't know what is going to come out. LW: How is art perceived in Lebanon? Nassar: There is a small but incredible artistic community in Lebanon. There are all kinds of artists, you see them in the theater, at concerts, and it is a very small but reachable community. The country has been through a war and it is still not a normal country. You need some sort of normalcy for art to thrive. There is an incredible renaissance in Lebanon after the war; creativity is incredible over there. LW: Do you have any advice for a young Lebanese American artist? Nassar: Do what you want to do, express yourself, and don't be afraid to draw or paint or do whatever comes across your mind. Do it and don't think too much about it. If you think too much about something, it will kill it. Be yourself and do what you want to do. Don't let anybody stop you. LW: What do you miss the most about Lebanon? Nassar: I miss the magic. I miss the spontaneity and that anything is possible at any time. People are very magical. Even with no phone, no electricity, words go across. Messages go through, things happen and people get together. The joie de vivre is unparalleled. On Sept. 11, 2001, Ms. Nassar, who now lives in Brooklyn, NewYork, put a canvas up in her backyard and began expressing herself with the earth. When she finished, she added some strokes of red oil paint. "I was throwing on the canvas, I was angry," Ms. Nassar says. 9-11 brought back my experience in Lebanon during the war like an injection, in one shot. It took me years to heal from the war -- which violence I had experienced for six years including the Israeli invasion of Lebanon." "9-11 brought back the shot. All Americans were not familiar with the implications and the roots of the tragedy. We were too wise. We [Lebanese]have lived through this." Now, that painting - called "September 11, 2001" - is on display along with 17 other oil paintings at SPIN in her Bay Ridge neighborhood. It is her first solo exhibition. "You need to express yourself," Ms. Nassar says. A room in her house contains boxes of photographs of the World Trade Center, taken when she lived three blocks away in the early 1990s. Ms. Nassar, 47, isn't just a painter on her way to stardom. She's also an accomplished photographer and is planning a solo show in photography on Beirut with a special theme to be announced soon. Most of her prized photos were taken in Beirut. LebWorld caught up with Ms. Nassar this week to discuss her artwork display, life as a Lebanese American and of course, as an artist. LW: So this is your first solo show. Nassar: I have been in group shows of course, but this is my first solo, yes. I did 25 pieces in less than a year. It is not normal to do 25 paintings and hide them at home. Then you are really sick. LW: When did you start painting? Nassar: Well, I was always creative. I was taking photos as I was traveling but never took photography seriously. Then I started working in advertising as a creative writer for an international ad agency in Lebanon and was involved with creative stuff. Then I came to America in 1978, the first time, and stayed till 1982, one week before the Israeli invasion. My father was sick. I stayed until January 1985. In 1991, I was working in the Interior Design field and wasn't happy with my job. So I'd go to the Art Students League at night and paint. Every time I finished a painting, a student or teacher would ask, 'Are you a textile designer?' I did it and hung them in my apartment. Then I totally forgot about it and started thinking about my photography much more. Then I was losing my apartment in the West Village in 2001. I was under such high pressure, I said, I am either going to paint or I am going to have a stroke. LW: How did you start photography? Nassar: When I moved to Tribeca in 1988 I had a beautiful apartment overlooking the Hudson River. The architecture there is beautiful, mainly post-modernist, and Tribeca was still a secret. My friends thought that I was crazy to live down there because it was too isolated. I took tons of photos of the World Trade Center. I have them in boxes. LW: Are you trying to make a political statement with your work? Nassar: I don't use my paintings as a tool. But they are a means for me to express myself and to communicate with the public. When I paint, I don't know what is going to come out. LW: How is art perceived in Lebanon? Nassar: There is a small but incredible artistic community in Lebanon. There are all kinds of artists, you see them in the theater, at concerts, and it is a very small but reachable community. The country has been through a war and it is still not a normal country. You need some sort of normalcy for art to thrive. There is an incredible renaissance in Lebanon after the war; creativity is incredible over there. LW: Do you have any advice for a young Lebanese American artist? Nassar: Do what you want to do, express yourself, and don't be afraid to draw or paint or do whatever comes across your mind. Do it and don't think too much about it. If you think too much about something, it will kill it. Be yourself and do what you want to do. Don't let anybody stop you. LW: What do you miss the most about Lebanon? Nassar: I miss the magic. I miss the spontaneity and that anything is possible at any time. People are very magical. Even with no phone, no electricity, words go across. Messages go through, things happen and people get together. The joie de vivre is unparalleled.

sally farhat

reporter