{"id":17221,"date":"2025-08-20T14:34:04","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T11:34:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/?p=17221"},"modified":"2025-08-29T15:19:43","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T12:19:43","slug":"fann-w-fenjein-with-jana-el-kurd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/fann-w-fenjein-with-jana-el-kurd\/","title":{"rendered":"Fann w Fenjein: Jana El Kurd"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Prequel: Jana and I first crossed paths in Lebanon in 2017, before reconnecting in Montreal a couple of years later. Our circles overlapped, and soon our friendship began to grow. When the pandemic hit, like many of us, we found ourselves trying to navigate the uncertainty of what came next.<\/em><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

A core<\/em> memory of Jana that has never left me began in the most ordinary way\u2014running errands. We ended up in a hardware store, standing before an endless wall of tools and gadgets. I watched her take it all in, her eyes wide and curious, almost laughing at the sight. I asked, half-joking, \u201cDo you even know what these are for?\u201d She smiled that unmistakable smile of hers and replied, \u201cNo, but we\u2019re about to find out.\u201d<\/em><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Not long after, Jana disappeared from sight for a while. What I didn\u2019t know then was that she was quietly discovering a new love for painting. She began experimenting with textures, materials, and the very tools that had once left us both bewildered. From that playful curiosity emerged a practice that feels both fearless and deeply original\u2014culminating in one of the most powerful art pieces I\u2019ve seen come from our generation.<\/em><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

– Stephani Moukhaiber<\/em><\/p>

Founder and Publisher of Al Rawiya<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The vynile that keeps on spinning wood canvas plaster acrylics oil pastels oil paints coloring pencils, size \/ 40 x 60<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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How did this all start? When did you notice you were good at it?<\/b><\/p>

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It wasn\u2019t one moment. There were many small ones.<\/span><\/p>

A leftover brush. A stain on a wall. A silence too loud to leave empty.<\/span><\/p>

I started making art the way people start writing letters they\u2019ll never send\u2014to remember, to release, to survive.<\/span><\/p>

It came from places I couldn\u2019t explain in words:<\/span><\/p>

from childhood mess, from inherited chaos, from softness I was told to hide.<\/span><\/p>

Plaster and pastels\u00a0 became a way to rebuild what cracked, a way to speak without shouting.<\/span><\/p>

Every piece is a pulse. Every layer, a decision I once hesitated to make.<\/span><\/p>

I didn\u2019t study this formally. I studied life. I studied people. I studied grief, color, and movement.<\/span><\/p>

And somehow, all of that became a language on its own.<\/span><\/p>

This is how it started.<\/span><\/p>

This is how it keeps beginning.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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All my friends got broken hearts_ Acrylics<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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All my friends got broken hearts: Acrylics, plaster on wood canvas \/ size size: length 10\" x width 10\"<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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In 2019, I found myself at a crossroads.<\/span><\/p>

I was working as a visual effects artist for video games\u2014fully immersed in the digital.<\/span><\/p>

But something in me needed more. Something tactile. Messy. Honest.<\/span><\/p>

I felt the urge to express myself using materials I could touch, bend, break, layer.<\/span><\/p>

So I picked up plaster, paint\u2014anything I could get my hands on.<\/span><\/p>

And when I created my first painting as an adult, I was surprised by myself.<\/span><\/p>

It felt natural. Intuitive. Like something I had known all along.<\/span><\/p>

It was the first time I saw a spark of talent in myself\u2014not just a skill, but a voice.<\/span><\/p>

And I\u2019ve been following it ever since.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDeath on arrival: Acrylics, plaster on wood canvas size: length 3\" x width 3\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNo one cries forever: Acrylics, plaster on wood canvas \/ size: length 3\" x width 3\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTunnel vision: Acrylics, plaster on wood canvas \/ size: length 3\" x width 3\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tYou play god but you've got no glamour: Acrylics, plaster, marble, gesso on wood canvas size: length 3\" x width 3\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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How’s your level of expertise with tools now?<\/b><\/p>

Before I ever worked in construction, I was already using tools..just\u2026 not how they were intended.<\/span><\/p>

Putty knives? Texture brushes.<\/span><\/p>

Plaster trowels? Emotional smoothers.<\/span><\/p>

Sandpaper? Mostly for my nervous system.<\/span><\/p>

But in 2024, I needed a job\u2014like, a real job.<\/span><\/p>

So I started working in construction.<\/span><\/p>

It wasn\u2019t glamorous, but it grounded me.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Everyone thinks home is safe until it isn\u2019t: Plaster, acrylics, and pen on wood canvas \/ size 6\u201dx6\u201d<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Might as well be walking on the sun: Plaster, acrylics, and pen on wood canvas \/ size 6\u201dx6\u201d<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Suddenly, all these tools I\u2019d been misusing in the name of art actually made sense.<\/span><\/p>

I learned what they were really for\u2014measuring, leveling, sealing, building.<\/span><\/p>

And weirdly, it felt like coming full circle.<\/span><\/p>

I already knew how they felt in my hands. I just needed to learn their \u201cofficial\u201d purposes.<\/span><\/p>

That said, I still use them in deeply experimental ways.<\/span><\/p>

A drywall knife? Still a palette.<\/span><\/p>

A trowel? Still a sculptor\u2019s secret.<\/span><\/p>

A drill? Still chaotic but loved.<\/span><\/p>

So yes, I worked in construction because I had to.<\/span><\/p>

But it taught me things I never expected about precision, patience, and how to bend the rules beautifully<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Your fears make sounds_ Plaster, acrylics, paper, oil pastels and oil painting on wood canvas \/ size 5\u201dx5\u201d<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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System of a bear: acrylics, paper, oil pastels and oil painting on wood canvas<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Your pieces are very multilayered not only literally with the use of various materials\u2013 but metaphorically too – you can see a melting pot of many emotions through the use of colors, shapes, and what looks like many memories – can you tell us more about it?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Yes, definitely. My work is layered in every sense of the word\u2014physically, emotionally, and even historically. I use plaster, paint, fabric, dust, whatever I feel belongs in the piece. I like materials that carry weight, texture, or memory.<\/span><\/p>

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But underneath all that, what I\u2019m really doing is translating a feeling. Or many at once.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Some pieces hold grief and softness at the same time.<\/span><\/p>

Others carry confusion, nostalgia, or something I haven\u2019t fully named yet.<\/span><\/p>

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The shapes, colors, and textures are never random\u2014they come from very real emotional moments or states of mind. Sometimes I\u2019ll add a layer and then scrape it back down. That\u2019s a process I go through internally too. There\u2019s something about covering and revealing, building and undoing, that feels honest to me.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

In a way, I\u2019m archiving my inner world. Each piece holds fragments of memory, ancestral energy, personal chaos, and calm. It\u2019s all mixed in, like a visual diary that doesn\u2019t need to make sense to anyone but still speaks to something familiar.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

And yeah\u2014sometimes I look at a finished piece and realize it knew more than I did while I was making it.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Moon thief<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sleep drifter 12.7 cm x 12.7 cm 5\u201dx5<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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How does your character show up in your art?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>

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My character shows up whether I want it to or not.<\/span><\/p>

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There\u2019s no hiding in my work\u2014it catches everything: the tenderness, the frustration, the chaos, the humor, the contradictions. I think people expect artists to be consistent, but I\u2019m not interested in that. I\u2019m interested in honesty. And honesty isn\u2019t always clean.<\/span><\/p>

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Some days I\u2019m soft, so the piece is delicate and layered in pastels.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Other days I\u2019m agitated, so I scrape, press, throw things, leave marks that feel impulsive but end up being the most intentional.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

I think my character shows up in how I let things be imperfect\u2014raw edges, uneven surfaces, unresolved spaces. It shows up in how I build, destroy, and rebuild within a single work. That\u2019s who I am outside of the studio too: layered, always evolving, emotional, stubborn, hopeful.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Even the materials I use say something\u2014I choose things that don\u2019t behave. Just\u00a0 Like me.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Under my skin where the rain can\u2019t get in_ size_ Plaster, acrylics and fire torch on wood canvas<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Xenia_ Acrylics, watercolor and plaster on wood canvas<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Prequel: Jana and I first crossed paths in Lebanon in 2017, before reconnecting in Montreal a couple of years later. Our circles overlapped, and soon our friendship began to grow. When the pandemic hit, like many of us, we found ourselves trying to navigate the uncertainty of what came next. \u00a0 A core memory of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160,322],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-column","category-fann-w-fenjein"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/al-rawiya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2AC23A5C-7147-40B3-A2B3-D467F89D096F-e1755689625765.jpeg?fit=3513%2C3234&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17221"}],"version-history":[{"count":75,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17394,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17221\/revisions\/17394"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-rawiya.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}