If identity crisis is among the most common pathologies suffered by Lebanese, Nayla Romanos Iliya has found the remedy, or at least the one for her. After living abroad for more than 20 years, Romanos Iliya rekindled an appreciation of her Lebanese heritage by creating sculptures based on the Phoenician alphabet.Born and raised in Beirut, Romanos Iliya was educated in French schools during the Civil War, before choosing to study architecture and design at the American University of Beirut.

“When I lived in Lebanon, I was looking West,” she explained. She spent almost two decades bouncing across metropolitan hubs in Europe, North America and Asia, absorbing the cultural and artistic offerings of each city. Finally landing in Dubai, Romanos Iliya says she became interested in learning about the roots of her own culture. “I definitely didn’t want to spend the time going or the mall or having lunches,” she said. “It’s not my style.” [Link]