Interview: Valia Abou Alfadel
Luca Curci talks with Valia Abou Alfadel during BODYSPACES, the first appointment of CANVAS INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR 2024 at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello in Venice.

Valia Abou Alfadel is an artist born in Syria, currently living in the United Arab Emirates, with over 48 local and international exhibitions. She holds a golden visa and has been ranked among the top 20 watercolor artists globally. In her paintings and illustrations, Valia Abou Al Fadel doesn’t just stick to cold, documentary-style drawing. Instead, she uses quick, spontaneous strokes that feel almost like improvisation, filling the canvas with bursts of color and movement to express deep emotions. Her art is a search for a unique style, one that rejects traditional, polished approaches. She prefers to explore new, personal ways of expression, outside the commercial art world. By simplifying shapes and focusing on fast, free strokes, she moves away from realism toward a more emotional and expressive style. Even though her work feels raw and full of energy, she manages to keep a balance between control and spontaneity, aiming to blend thoughtful drawing with emotional freedom.

Love is the essence of beauty, infusing everything with harmony and enchantment. True beauty goes beyond physical appearance; it dwells within the heart. Love and beauty are deeply interconnected. Since the beginning of time, love has been humanity’s message to the world. Women, embodying love, beauty, and fertility, have been revered as symbols of the divine feminine. They nurture life and reflect the timeless essence of love and beauty.

Luca Curci – What is art for you?
Valia Abou Alfadel – Art is the language of the universe, connecting all humanity, earth, and sky. To understand art is to unlock the secrets of beauty; to witness beauty is to awaken to the depth of love; and to embrace love is to draw near to both the divine and the heart of humanity.

LC – What are your thoughts while you paint? Do you have any habits or rituals while you work?
VAA – I turn inward, diving into the depths of my soul, detaching myself from reality. I become fully attuned to everything I feel, letting myself be captivated by the music that guides my brush. The music becomes the vessel that carries me through my journey with the canvas, and the sail that directs the anchor – my brush – toward the essence of the painting. This harmony between myself and my imagination weaves the final outcome. But with watercolors, things are even freer – the water is entirely liberated, and I merely dance with it to the rhythm of the music, giving it the freedom to create, to bring life to the canvas.

LC – Among the several techniques you use, which one do you prefer to practice and which are most compelling for you?
VAA – The years an artist spends are devoted to perfecting their unique style, but the true energy of color lives within their very being, infusing every piece they create with a personal signature. My love for watercolors has led me to make them the foundation of all my paintings, even when working with acrylics, where layers of transparency form the core. Time itself intertwines – past and present – building the layers that give the painting its depth. All my works speak a single message: love. And because a woman has carried this eternal burden since the beginning of time, she is the soul of my compositions, the one who etches this message onto the surface of the canvas.

LC – Where do you find your inspiration?
VAA – My inspiration flows from the very depths of the soul. We are brimming with intricate details, and the moment one of them is touched, it awakens a cascade of memories long submerged. The Creator breathes His inspiration into me through the beauty of His creation. Since my childhood, I have seen beauty in all things and felt love leaving its marks everywhere. This love has taught me to sow it in everything that crosses my path. Such is my relationship with my paintings – I keep planting seeds of love, even if only in the form of a dream, nurturing it until it takes root deep within me, waiting for the day it blossoms into something I can paint.

LC – How is being an artist nowadays?
VAA – I feel incredibly blessed, yet equally burdened. Blessed, because I have the power to inspire happiness in some way. By creating and sharing beauty with the world, accompanied by my message of love, I aim to showcase the true essence of humanity – its inherent beauty and the possibility of a peaceful world that elevates us all toward harmony and enduring peace. Yet, I feel burdened, for the artist’s heart is always exquisitely sensitive, and deeply transparent, and we are among the most profoundly affected by the escalating tragedies of this world.

LC – Your last artistic production attracted us, has the artwork presented been created for the exhibition or as a part of preexisting works?
VAA – These two pieces are part of my new collection titled Photo Album (Me, You). I had hoped to present the full trilogy (Me, You, Together), but circumstances didn’t allow it. The technique I used bridges the past and the present, evoking the feeling of flipping through an old photo album – one that pulls you back to the very moment each picture was taken. Many of these photos were black and white, later hand-coloured to revive their vibrancy. The works displayed with the ITSLIQUID Group collection (Me, You) are especially close to my soul, and I am beyond thrilled to be part of this collaboration. It’s an honour to be surrounded by such remarkable work and to be part of this gathering of artists from around the world.

LC – Can you explain something about the artworks you have in our exhibition?
VAA – Everything begins with me. I am the creator of my reality, and from the reflection of myself, the world is shaped. My essence is moulded from love, and it is beauty that lights my path. Wherever I am, You are there as well. You are my mirror, my reflection in the vastness of life. To truly see myself, I must gaze into your eyes, for only through you can I find myself. These are the broad strokes of my two paintings, but within them lie deeper symbols – the apple and the rose. The apple, the essence of Adam, and the rose, the embodiment of feminine grace – both of which are the heartbeat of existence, for without them, there is no life.

LC – Did you enjoy cooperating with us?
VAA – It was, without a doubt, one of the most enriching international experiences I’ve had thus far, attracting a diverse and passionate audience of art lovers. I was deeply honored and overjoyed to have participated alongside such distinguished artistic talent. I must also highlight the remarkable professionalism, the thoughtful care, and the prompt responses from the exhibition organizers. I sincerely hope that future gatherings will allow us to continue striving toward our unified goal: spreading beauty, painting life with a smile, celebrating the past, and building a future filled with hope – crafted by the hands of generations more beautiful, joyful, and full of promise.

LC – What is your idea about ITSLIQUID GROUP?
VAA – This participation was one of the milestones that truly touched the core of my artistic aspirations, an experience that soared to the level of dreams I have long held within me. Everything was steeped in beauty – from the meticulously crafted artworks to the impeccable organization and the media coverage, which reflected modern advancements in a way that gave both the works and the artists a distinctive presence. To have the opportunity to write about my brushstrokes and express myself as an artist on such an authentic and elevated platform is a profound source of pride and indescribable gratitude, crowning this event with pure beauty. I am overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for the warmth and recognition I received from ITSLIQUID Group. They have instilled in me a deep sense of responsibility for what I will create in the future. My message of love, which I weave into my paintings, was met with such understanding and warmth, and the light they cast on my work has made me envision a brighter future – for myself and for art in general – thanks to the presence of such distinguished patrons of beauty in this world.