Illustrator Nourie Flayhan Dreams of Change
Fighting for home through her art
Nourie Flayhan’s fantastical illustrations are a window into a magical world of memories of the past and her hope for the future. Her work features bold colors, intricate patterns with a focus on female characters. However, they are more than just a pretty picture - every stroke is full of emotion and is an urgent call for change.
Flayhan, born to Lebanese immigrants fleeing war, was raised primarily in Kuwait and later attended art school in the UK. She was most comfortable expressing herself through her art in the security and comfort of her home with her brothers and parents and it was only at University where she was found her own voice. At Chelsea College of Arts in London, she was the only Arab in a class full of British kids and found her work starting to look like everyone else’s. A tutor there pulled her aside and reminded her of the beauty that comes from her own difference in experience and culture, and to embrace it. That push was all Flayhan needed to unleash her creativity.
As she shared in an interview, her work reflects her experience of being a diaspora kid where she had a deep connection to Lebanon, but never felt like she belonged anywhere. As she learned more about how women were being treated in her home country, she wanted to create a safe space to tell their stories and build community through her art. She wanted women to know that there is no shame in sharing and that there are people who will listen.
Eyes are an important feature of Flayhan’s work. In some of her pieces, women are featured with blank eyes, which Flayhan uses as a motif for women who have died, as a symbol of their soul taken from them. Last summer, in the midst of a series of femicide attacks across the Middle East, Flayhan took to Instagram to share the stories of some of the women.
Many of Flayhan’s illustrations also feature women with four eyes, which are a nod to Flayhan’s youth of wearing glasses from a young age. Kids used to call her “four eyes”, which she never felt was a form of bullying, instead she felt like it was her superpower. To me, the four eyes also seem to resemble the dichotomy of Flayhan’s work - there is so much pain and injustice in the stories she depicts, but there is also space for hope and change and a new tomorrow. With her four eyes, Flayhan is able to gracefully hold space for both.
Nourie Flayhan's talent has not gone unnoticed. Large brands and publications are eager to collaborate with her from Gucci Beauty to Vogue. Most recently she collaborated with Adidas for limited edition collection celebrating Ramadan. Her pieces are a homage to Dubai, where she currently lives, and all of the expat kids who have made it their own. The work showcases her versatility as an artist, seamlessly integrating her signature style with the essence of the holy month.
What’s next for Flayhan? Expanding her practice to work with textiles and joining an artists residency. Either way we’ll be watching. Flayhan is an agent of change with work that resonates deeply with all of us finding our way home.
Follow Nourie Flayhan on Instagram @nouriflayhan | Purchase Nourie’s print with No Borders, Celebrate the Culture, here