Léa Nasnas Chami
Born: Lebanon 1981 Live: Oslo Norway
Website: www.leanasnas.com
Instagram: leanasnas
Facebook: leanasnas
Twitter: LeaNasnas
Léa is a self taught artist, with a style of her own, born in Lebanon on November 29th 1981. When her parents divorced, in the midst of the Lebanese civil war, Léa and her little brother fled to Paris, France. They lived there with their grandmother for several years. After their mother remarried with a Norwegian man when Léa was 10, they moved to Oslo in Norway to reunite with her.
In 1999, she left home and went to Lebanon to study international relations at USJ in Beirut. She then specialized in corporate communication at ECS in Paris, France, where she met her husband. They settled back in Lebanon in 2004 where she has worked in journalism, event production and communication management. Due to the chaotic situation in Lebanon, Léa and her husband decided to move to Oslo, Norway with their children in 2020 for a fresh start.
Léa started to paint in 2003 to express her high sensitivity and supressed emotions and fell in love with the colors and fluidity of paint. She lets her inner child guide her hand while she paints. This is why she signs her artworks "Ley" by the short of her nickname "Leyouche".
Her unique style caught the eye of plenty as she loves to depict hearts, wings, meaningful places and strong emotions. Léa describes her style as "emotion-art" and often paints using blue, bright or metallic acrylic colors.
Léa participated in exhibitions worldwide and has her own limited edition line of products on https://leanasnas.redbubble.com
Van Gogh tribute collection
If you would have to impress the press (TV/Radio) with your artworks – how would you describe your works in order to stand out from other exhibitors:
My art style is unique, it is like an abstract expressionism of emotions. All my paintings tell an emotional story. My artworks are truly an expression of my deepest emotions on canvas without any censorship or filter. If I am happy, I paint happy paintings with bright colors and when I’m angry I use a darker palette. It’s a way for me to accept that “This is how I feel right now” and to tell others that “it is ok to feel that way” too. The blue hues of my mindfulness series bring hope and a sense of grounding to the viewer as I feel while I am painting them. I also have a collection in tribute of Van Gogh whom I truly admire. I let my inner child guide my paint strokes that‘s why I instinctively sign my paintings “Ley”, the short of my nickname “Leyouche”.
War Divorce and Decadence
How would you describe yourself? And your artwork?
I smile to strangers and love to help others. Especially when I play matchmaking for my single connections. My friends call me “Cupidon” the name of the cute little angel of love… I collect angel figurines and my home is very colorful and cozy, especially at Christmas time with all my special decorations. I could never live without Christmas, Chocolate, human relations, spirituality and natural sunlight. My artwork is raw emotions on canvas. I love to use blue hues, bright colors and metallic paint. Hearts, wings, and abstract impression of emotions are my favorite subjects.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I get my inspiration from all kinds of emotions, love, meaningful relationships, the beauty of nature, the sound of birds singing, piano playing, poetic songs with beautiful lyrics and music.
I know my artwork is finished when…?
When I feel an artwork is done, I hang it in my living room and look at it for a few weeks. Than I know it needs some extra work… I sign the artwork when I feel it is finished after I hung it and looked at it without feeling it needs anything more.
Which are your favorite artists?
My favorite painters/visual artists are: Vincent Van Gogh, Yayoi Kusama, Gustav Klimt, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Romero Britto, Lisa Concannon, Da Wack (Mika’s sister Yasmine Penniman)
Jesus
Best exhibition ever participated in…?
The best exhibition I ever participated in was definitely “Art Connects Women” in Dubai. It was organized by Zee Arts Gallery and gathered 100 artworks by women from 100 different countries. It also was my last real exhibition before the covid lockdown, in March 2020. I was proudly representing my adoptive land, Norway and connected with great women from around the world. The whole exhibition and program was around equality and the quality of the whole event was outstanding. I am looking forward to other exhibitions and would love to show my art on all the continents.
What dream you ever had you still remember?
I was going through a dark moment in my life and Jesus appeared in my dream he was so pure, and compassionate. There was a warm light all around him and he showed me I could rely on him and offered me a hug. This is why I painted him on a human size with a sunshine impression all around him. That painting will stay in the middle of our home, to remind me that I can always rely on him and I can always hug him if I need some comfort.
Seasons
What other hobbies do you have? / What jobs have you done other than being an artist?
I have worked in communication and event management and started to paint to express my great sensitivity and suppressed emotions. After a thorough therapy using traditional CBT, I met my Integrative Stress Manager mentor and practiced Emotional Liberation Breathing, while he coached me to find my balance. I discovered a passion to emotional healing and enrolled in an ISMC course to coach others and help patients more efficiently. I am also a certified Biodecoding counselor and I practice Art Therapy. I think art and therapy should both be funded because it really is hard to make a living out of art if you don’t have the right connections and art is an essential part of life and healing. By becoming a better version of yourself you help the world evolve too.
What’s your favourite artwork?
I don’t have a favourite artwork. All my paintings are the product of my emotional experience and of course some of them bring me more peace when I look at them, just like a picture of good moments that bring you joyful memories… but the darker paintings also show me that I got through this and kept growing and moving forward. So I love these too.