Adra Kandil
b. 1993, Lebanon

"Nostalgia drives into our dreaming. Nostalgia is romantic, delicate yet loud. Like everything else, we take on light and color from outside ourselves and blend into one shade, together, as one. You're the sky, not a cloud. I'm the cloud. I gather and dissipate, but you are always here. Leave a message for me if you can. Watch the lilac blossom. Listen to the scratches of the vinyl and then the music. Then dance on and remember. Remember every moment, every memory, every photograph, just remember."

Adra Kandil is a female visual artist and communications designer known as Dear Nostalgia. Born in the autumn of 1993, and raised in Beirut, her artistic inclination began on a trip to Barcelona where she received her undergraduate degree in Creative Advertising & Branding at IED Barcelona, followed by a Master's degree in Coolhunting, Design, and Global Trends from Elisava Barcelona.

Booming on Instagram as her digital canvas, Adra combines cosmic, dreamy images with culturally relevant cues, showcasing a visual commentary on modern-day issues. Her work contrasts a retro aesthetic with bright pop colors, and modern typography, aiming to provide a visual representation of her struggle and aspirations as a generation. She would describe her work as a recollection of memories, creating visual letters to the past, present, and future.

Adra has also been a wave in the Web3 world, merging her love for the past with the future through NFTs. Her first NFT sold in 24 minutes through Emergeast, the first MENA-led exhibition. Adra’s work has been showcased in worldwide exhibitions, from Beirut to California, Paris, Switzerland, New York, Amsterdam, Montreal, and Barcelona. The Lebanese creative has worked with multiple NGOs and a resident artist for the UNDP. Adra has collaborated with multinational brands including Gucci, Chanel, Benefit Cosmetics, Dana Hourani, Womena, Jamalouki Magazine, Ounass, and Nour Hammour.

Credentials

International group exhibitions
Award winner
Museum exhibitions

Education

2017-2018 MA in Coolhunting, Global Trends, and Innovation For Design, Elisava - University School of Design and Engineering of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
2014-2017 BA in Creative Adverstising and Branding, IED Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
2011 High School Diploma, ACS Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

Selected Exhibitions

2021 'NFT M.E.', Emergeast NFT exhibition, Open Sea
2021 'Echoes From Lebanon', I Have Learned Academy x KAS Germany, Virtual Exhibition
2020 'BaselxBeirut', Basel, Switzerland
2020 'Li Watani', Paris, France
2020 Restaurant Elixier, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2020 'Artist of The Month', Hook Cafe, Beirut, Lebanon
2020 The 961 collective, La Belle Epoque Event, Montreal, Canada
2020 'Exotica Flora', Leo Burnett, Beirut Lebanon
2020 'The Silent Leaders Exhibition', Beit Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
2020 Artist of the month 2020, Hook Cafe, Beirut, Lebanon
2019 'Twilight City', Sage Parlour, Beirut, Lebanon
2019 Cub Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2019 Beirut Design Week, Design and Nostalgia Edition, Beirut, Lebanon
2019 Five3 Gallery, California, USA
2019 'Edition 1 and 2', Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Beirut, Lebanon
2018 'Paper Garden', 6BC Botanical Garden of NYC, New York, USA
2018 'TEDXWOMEN', Barcelona, Spain
2018 National Museum of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Awards

2021 'Collaging a Gender-Equal Future' Finalist, European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed)
2019 Winner of a Silver LAUS Award, Barcelona, Spain
Winner of rank in 50 most outstanding students of IED Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Press

2021 Beirut City Guide, Stuff We Love
2021 UNDP Peace Supplement
2021 Grazia Magazine, '5 female creatives that are making waves in the region'
2020 Scene Arabia, Interview
2020 Arab News, Nostalgia in Arab Art Interview
2020 MEAD magazine interview
2020 The Modern East, Artist of the day feature
2020 Vice Arabia, Miraa is for Women
2020 Grazia Magazine

Publications

UNDP Peace Building Supplement, Beirut, Lebanon - November 2021
Cover and Campaign for Chanel No.5 100th - Jamalouki Magazine, December 2021
Cover art for ArabPop Magazine, Italy, August 2021
Full Gucci Lookbook 2021- Jamalouki Magazine, June 2021
UNDP Peace Supplement, Artwork Feature, Beirut, Lebanon, January 2021
Zahrat Al Khaleej Magazine, Interview Feature, January 2021
Latin-Arab Film Festival, Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 2020
Local Foreigner Petry Book by Amanda Dufour, Artwork Commissions, July 2020
Elle Arabia, Artwork Feature, April 2020
The Silent Leaders Book, Four Artworks Features, February 2020

Adra Kandil b. 1993, Lebanon

Adra Kandil
b. 1993, Lebanon