Handpainted Tray
Handpainted Tray
By Lara Youakim
In Home Decor & Furniture
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1- "People": In addition to her focus on Beirut and nature, Lara Youakim is inspired by people, whom she sees as essential to the character and soul of any city. She is guided by the Arabic saying, “Janneh bala ness ma btendess”- a paradise without people is not worth entering. For her, portraying people is a way to honor the human presence that gives life to a place.
2- "My House": This tray reflects Lara Youakim’s deep connection to Beirut’s traditional homes. As the city’s old houses - the soul of Beirut - gradually disappear, she considers herself incredibly fortunate to live in one of them, surrounded by nature in the heart of the city. Lara wanted to preserve this image of her native city.
3- "Beirut": Lara Youakim explores the duality between old and new Beirut. To her, the old city embodies its soul - its memory, identity, and charm. In contrast, the new Beirut appears soulless and generic, resembling any modern city stripped of individuality. Through this work, she captures the tension between preservation and erasure, memory and modernization.
About Lara Youakim
Lara Youakim was born in 1968 and spent her childhood in Beirut, where she began her artistic education at ALBA (Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts). She later moved to Paris to continue her studies at the Académie Charpentier, École Boulle, and ENSAAMA/Atelier de Serres. Her training focused on mural arts - including fresco, lacquer, and mosaic - as well as traditional religious iconography, which she studied at the Ateliers de la Mairie de Paris.
Lara then pursued a major in Chinese language and civilization, leading her to settle in China for 15 years. During that time, she spent seven years studying traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. She also trained in the Japanese floral art of Ikebana, receiving certification from the Kyoto Ikebana School.
In the later years of her time in Asia, Lara divided her time between China and Bali, where she explored various local crafts. She took courses in Balinese sculpture, silver jewelry making, batik, and bamboo and rattan weaving, further enriching her artistic practice.
In addition to her extensive international training, Lara has continued to expand her skills in Beirut, attending workshops in silkscreen printing, weaving, and etching techniques. She was recently awarded a Certificate of Artistic Achievement from the Luxembourg Art Prize.
Deeply curious about artistic processes, Lara’s work reflects a blend of techniques and diverse cultural influences, - Asian, Lebanese, and Western. Her pieces have been exhibited in China, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Paris, and beyond.
Initially, her art was primarily influenced by themes of femininity and Asian aesthetics. However, since returning to Beirut, her focus has shifted. Confronted by the city's rapid, chaotic transformation, she began exploring the emotional and cultural aftermaths of urban change. Living in a traditional Beirut home, she expresses concern over the city's unchecked modernization and the disappearance of its historical and human fabric. She critiques the loss of old Beirut's soul, where new buildings, despite their individual beauty, often clash with their surroundings due to a lack of urban planning and sensitivity to place.
Today, Lara’s work centres around three key themes: the soul of Beirut, its people, and nature, with trees as recurring symbols of life and continuity.