Jean-Marc Nahas

Jean-Marc Nahas was born in Beirut in 1963. He is a renowned Lebanese-Canadian artist known for his dramatic expressionist style and deeply personal visual language. He attended the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (ENSBA), Paris, and Penninghen. At the age of 17, he moved to Paris and trained under influential artists including Pierre Alechinsky, Vladimir Veličković, Ferit Iscan, and Albert Zavaro.
Nahas grew up in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War, an experience that profoundly shaped his worldview and artistic voice. His work often explores the themes of war, peace, and social inequality, particularly the plight of children. He describes his art as a form of writing—whether poetry, storytelling, or personal letters—calling it “a private diary.” This intimate approach imbues his paintings with emotional intensity and narrative depth.
His artworks are marked by rapid, rhythmic brushstrokes and expressive figures that often appear mid-action, their faces etched with emotion, inviting viewers into their stories. Animal-like motifs frequently populate his compositions, and his simplified, almost calligraphic line work emphasizes the clarity of message over ornamental detail. As he puts it, “The simplification of my drawin...

École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris.
Penninghen, l'école d'architecture intérieure, de communication et de direction artistique, Paris.

Solo Exhibitions
1989 Galerie Rumors, Kaslik, Lebanon
1989- 1992 – 1997 Galerie Epreuve d Artiste, Kaslik, Lebanon
1991 Galerie Pink, Montreal, Canada
1994 Galerie 50×70, Beirut, Lebanon
1995 Lebanese Office of tourism, Paris France.
1996 Green Art Gallery, Dubai, UAE
1999 Cultural French Centre, Deir el Qamar, Lebanon
2000 Ecole Superieure des Affaires (ESA), Beirut, Lebanon (NailaKunigk)
2002 French Cultural Centre, Beirut, replica watches Lebanon (NailaKunigk)
2003 French Cultural Centre of Chouf, Deir El Qamar
2004 Berytech, Beirut, Lebanon (NailaKunigk)
2005 French Cultural Centre, Beirut, Lebanon
2006 Zico House “Catastrophe” UMAM, Beirut
2008 Naila Kettaneh Kunigk, Beirut
2009 Rose Issa Projects, London
2009 Sultan Gallery, Kuwait
2010 Atelier Jean-Marc Nahas, Beirut
2011 Ginette Concept Store, Beirut
2012 Bank Audi HQ (15 meters wall painting), Beirut
2012 Bank Audi HQ – Permanent exhibition 3000 meters, Beirut
2013 Beirut Exhibition Center
2014 Galerie Z, Beirut (drawings exhibition)
2016 – 2017 Restaurant ToTo, Lebanon
2018 Beirut Art Fair (Cadillac painting – installation)
2018 Espace 9 Verdun, Beirut
2018 Sherif Tabet, art gallery Beirut
2018 Temps Libre, Montreal
2018 Miami Design District Art Space,Miami Florida
2019 ...