"De fait, l’exposition Study of a Cloud propose un corpus d'œuvres allant de 2015 à nos jours qui mettent en lien les espaces et les temps, et un voyage temporel, autant que spatial, dans les civilisations anciennes, leurs mythologies, leurs légendes et leurs croyances."

(Nayla Tamraz, 2023)

Born in Lebanon, in 1974, Zena Assi lives and works in London, and taught in different universities in Beirut. The artist uses various supports and mediums to document and explore the cultural and social changes and put on record our urban contemporary environment’s imprint. Her work takes shape in etching, experimental animation, sculpture, ceramics and mainly painting. Themes that are central to her vision include present-day issues, like migration and the relation between memories and people on the move.

Many of her pieces are part of various public as well as private collections (Academie Libanaise des Beaux Arts in Beirut, Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah and Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris). Throughout her artistic practice, her work has won prizes including the Sunny Dupree Family Award for a woman Artist at the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy, London, 2020 – the Rosemary & Co Award at the SWA show, London, 2018 and the Special Jury Prize of the XXIX of the Autumn Salon of the Sursock Museum, Beirut, 2009.

Assi has exhibited in solo as well as collective shows across Europe, the Middle East and the United States of America, including- Subtitled Apeal Royal College of Art (London, UK) in 2011, Artsawa gallery (Dubai, UAE) from 2008 until 2017, Alwane gallery (Beirut, Lebanon) from 2008 until 2018, Zoom Art Fair (Miami, USA) in 2010, Espace Claude Lemand (Paris, France) in 2011 & 2021, Cairo Biennale (Cairo, Egypt) in 2010, Katzen Arts Center of American University (Washington D.C., USA) in 2017, Rebirth Beirut Exhibition Center (Beirut, Lebanon) in 2011, Albareh gallery (Manama, Kingdom of Bahrein) in 2010 & 2021, CAP Contemporary Art Platform Gallery Space (Kuwait) in 2012 & 2021, Art13 & Art14 London Fair (London, UK) in 2013 & 2014, Art Paris (Paris, France) in 2008 & 2020, Tanit Gallery ( Beirut, Lebanon & London, UK) in 2022, IWM Imperial War Museum (London, UK) in 2018, IMA Institut du Monde Arabe (Paris, France) in 2021, Galerie & Edition Stephan Witschi (Zurich, Switzerland), Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy (London, UK) in 2020 - 2022, and the 57th Venice Art Biennale (Venice, Italy) in 2017.