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ON GOING PROJECT | DATE STARTED 2015
THE SHOULDER, THE ARM,
THE FOREARM AND THE HAND.
From day one, my photography has centered on women; an enduring obsession. I explore how the body meets the face, especially how the shoulder, arm, forearm, and hand shape expression. By moving and posing these parts in different ways, I create space for the face to emerge and speak without words. This nonverbal dialogue allows the portrait to say everything, the face becomes a gateway
to inner thoughts and emotions, a vulnerable honest presence.
As “Emanuelle Levinas” states:
* “ Tout corps et tout l’homme est visage. Le visage, dans sa nudité en est la trace. ” Emmanuelle Levinas, extrait de Totalité et Infini: essaie sur l’extériorité,
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2022
BENEATH THE WATER
Immersing oneself in reflection and observation, the act consists of journeying within oneself to self-nourish.
I use the movement of water and breathing to create a visual representation of this separation between the soul and the body.
The soul, often considered the intangible and spiritual aspect of the individual, takes the forefront and breathes.
A liberation of the soul, connecting to something deeper and universal.
A series of 9 portraits printed on cotton paper | dim; 50cm x 66cm
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2019
REVERIE
This work visualizes philosopher Jean Marie FREY's interpretation of the philosophical experience of rêverie, while interpreting that our soul goes for a walk, goes out of ourselves, and returns to ourselves. Just like exhalation and inhalation, from the outside to the inside.
The soul is the source of life.
Rêverie is an opening to being.
In this series of images, I focus on the process of creating images that is strongly linked to this phenomenon of rêverie.
This desire to create images does not exist without that mental detachment.
No image without rêverie, and no rêverie without an image.
A series of 3 rêveries printed on cotton paper |
dim ; 300 cm x 200 cm
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2014
EXTRAS
Extras are typically silent individuals who are simply expected to be present and play a passive and unobtrusive role.
These individuals I invite become my means of embarking on a journey of self-exploration.
It provides a conducive environment for self-discovery.
A series of 9 portraits printed on cotton paper |
dim 175 cm x 140 cm
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2008
FACES
Diploma Project |2008|
Master's degree in Fine Arts
at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA) University of Balamand.
Subjected to their own image.
Women are intentionally manipulated and distorted by the phenomenon of fashion which is characterized by constant and progressive change due to media exposure.
They are portrayed as vulnerable, sensitive, passive and submissive, always ready to transform, adapt and even disappear.
This raises questions about the role of fashion in today's society.
The passage reflects on the relationship between women and fashion as well as societal expectations. It suggests that women are often subjected not only to the influence and control of men and societal norms but also to their own self-image and the pressures imposed by the fashion industry.
This project was featured in the "Hopes & Doubts" exhibition in 2008, which brought together the works of Lebanese and Italian artists. The exhibition was organized by the Italian Cultural Institute in Beirut and the Merz Foundation in Turin.
The "Hopes & Doubts" project, curated by Constantino d'Orazio, brought together 8 Lebanese artists and 8 Italian artists in the same exhibition at the Dome City Center in Beirut.
Afterwards, it was presented at the Merz Foundation in Turin, providing international visibility to emerging talents from the Lebanese art scene.
A serie of 10 portraits printed on cotton paper | dim; 100 cm x 100 cm
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2023
IN MY DRAWER
"There are only traces and colors, always colors and traces."
Each person can project their own emotions, experiences, and memories onto the artwork, creating an interactive artistic experience. These touches of colors become a space for exploration and discovery for the viewers, inviting them to delve into their own imagination.
This approach is based on the idea that aesthetic experience is a collaborative process between the artist and the viewer.
A series of 9 traces printed on cotton paper | dim; 120cm x 170cm
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2017
MONOCHROMES
I seek to explore the concept of time and its fluid nature. Time is an ever-changing force that shapes our perception of reality.
Each monochrome piece is composed of a single color, chosen intentionally to evoke a particular mood or atmosphere.
However, despite the apparent simplicity, the shades and nuances within the color vary subtly.
This intentional variation reflects the continuous transformation that occurs in the world around us.
These monochromes serve as symbols of time itself.
They capture a moment, a pause, a contemplation.
By contemplating these monochromes, one can observe how the colors delicately unite, merging seamlessly just as our thoughts weave together the past, present, and future. It is a reminder that time is not linear but rather interconnected.
A series of 12 Monochromes, Watercolor on cotton paper | dim; 60 cm x 50 cm
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2025
“FOLDS AND CREASES”
PAPERCLAY COLLECTION
POTS SERIES| SUMMER 2025
Pots made of paper clay.
It’s a mixture of red stoneware and cellulose fibers.
All of my pieces are made by hand. By building thin layers over time, I can define each shape with intentional uneven surfaces. This process gives each piece a delicate and tactile quality.
PAPERCLAY COLLECTION
POTS SERIES| SUMMER 2025
Pots made of paper clay.
It’s a mixture of red stoneware and cellulose fibers.
All of my pieces are made by hand. By building thin layers over time, I can define each shape with intentional uneven surfaces. This process gives each piece a delicate and tactile quality.
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2025
SOLITAIRE CUP
COFFEE CUP | WINTER 2025
Handmade Stoneware Coffee Cup.
Each cup is individually hand-built so no two are quite the same.
Real gold lustre is meticulously applied by hand.
Please handle with care and avoid microwaving pieces with gold accents.
Due to the nature of the glaze, colors may vary, and sizes and shapes may differ slightly as a result of the handmade process.
Cup Size: Approximately 9 cm in height and holds about 250 ml of liquid.
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COFFEE CUP | WINTER 2025
Handmade Stoneware Coffee Cup.
Each cup is individually hand-built so no two are quite the same.
Real gold lustre is meticulously applied by hand.
Please handle with care and avoid microwaving pieces with gold accents.
Due to the nature of the glaze, colors may vary, and sizes and shapes may differ slightly as a result of the handmade process.
Cup Size: Approximately 9 cm in height and holds about 250 ml of liquid.
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BEIRUT 2023
THIS PROJECT IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN
ZIAD ABI CHAKER, THE CREATOR OF THE RECYCLED BENCHES AND JOHANNE ISSA, THE ARTIST WHO PAINTED THE BENCHES.
A BENCH FOR TWO | JOHANNE ISSA
When you sit on a bench, you are never alone.
It is either a moment of introspection or a shared space with a companion, or even a stranger.
This same thought came to mind when I started painting the benches.
How can I paint one color on a bench without thinking about the presence of two?
It's a dialogue between colors, a conversation with our thoughts or the other.
And it's the inevitable encounter between the viewer and the space.
BENCHES FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC | ZIAD ABI CHAKER
The material used to manufacture these benches is 100% recycled single use plastics:
the plastic that is "deemed" unrecyclable. Not only did we find a way to recycle this type of plastic but we also manufactured all the necessary equipment to do it locally.
Along the way, we figured that every time we recycle 1 kilogram of these plastics we divert the equivalent of 153 supermarket bags and we offset 2 kilograms of carbon dioxide.
These 3 benches and their corresponding planting pots weigh 70 Kilos each thus diverting in total the equivalent of 32,130 supermarket bags from the landfill and offsetting 420 Kilograms of carbon dioxide.
We are now paving the road to a whole new plastic recycling industry which will make these plastic beams, used not only in making outdoor furniture but also all types of outdoor fixtures like vertical greenwalls, street recycling bins, beach garbage bins, solar panels chassis...the applications are endless and will ensure that these plastics are no longer discarded on our seashores and in our forests and rivers or even incinerated creating ultra toxic fumes.
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JOHANNE ISSA
PORTFOLIO
THIS PORTFOLIO FEATURES A RANGE OF PROJECTS FROM 2008 TO 2024, INCLUDING WORK FOR PUBLICATIONS LIKE L’OFFICIEL LEVANT AND AISHTI MAGAZINE AS WELL AS COMPLETE IMAGE PRODUCTION FOR THE BEIRUT COOKS BOOK AND VARIOUS EDITORIAL ASSIGNMENTS FOR CLIENTS.
