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Caleen Ladki
b. 1988, Lebanon

Lebanese artist Caleen Ladki was born and raised in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before moving to London at the age of 15. She graduated with honors in 2011 from Central Saint Martins with a BA in Textile Design, specializing in print. During her time at CSM, she was selected as a semi-finalist in a competition to design the Evoke Radio by Pure. Her early work reflected a natural flair for pattern and symmetry, paired with a bold, intuitive use of color.

In 2014, Caleen relocated to Beirut—a shift that marked a turning point in her artistic journey. Her first major series, Birds of Freedom, explored the inner and outer struggles of adapting to a new environment. This was followed by All Eyes On You, a body of work that examined the pervasive fear of the evil eye in Levantine culture—a fear so deep it often prevents people from expressing their true selves. It was a visual conversation about superstition, vulnerability, and the cultural weight of being watched. Then came When Birds Fly and The Mind Roams, a series about dreaming, understanding, and the quiet strength found in acceptance. Together, these collections reflect Caleen’s evolving relationship with identity, freedom, and belonging.

Her most recent collection marks a spiritual and conceptual deepening in her work. It is an artistic study of Barzakh—the intermediate realm between this life and the next, as described in Islam. Through abstract symbolism, intricate patterns, and ethereal palettes, Caleen explores the unseen thresholds between worlds: what happens to the soul in transition, and the invisible boundaries that shape our existence. The collection is a meditation on liminality, mystery, and the divine architecture of the in-between.

Though each of Caleen’s paintings can stand alone, together they form a visual narrative —a deeply personal reflection on the emotional, cultural, and spiritual landscapes she moves through. Her work consistently engages with themes of calm and conflict, freedom and confinement, modernity and tradition. Known for her striking use of color and intricate pattern, her style is both bold and contemplative—evoking emotion while inviting introspection.

Caleen’s first solo exhibition, Uncertainty, was held at Artbooth Gallery in Abu Dhabi in 2023. She was recently featured in the group show Recap, also at Artbooth. Her work has been exhibited in London at Marie Jose Gallery, in Abidjan at Walls of Art Gallery, and in several group shows with Artbooth UAE, including exhibitions at ABC Mall in Beirut. Her paintings are part of private collections across the Middle East, Europe, and the United States, and she has sold several pieces to the prestigious Oakridge Hotel in Lebanon.

Series Statement

My work has always spoken in patterns—of movement, memory, and the layered spaces between emotion and identity. It once danced in bold shapes and radiant colors, reflecting a world of immediate feeling and instinctive design. Each piece was a reflection of the outer world and the inner dialogue it stirred.

But with time—and with deeper questioning—my work has turned inward. My latest series is a meditation on Barzakh, the unseen realm between life and the afterlife, as described in Islamic tradition. It is the space where the soul waits, transforms, and journeys between worlds. This collection seeks to give form to the invisible: the spiritual architecture that surrounds us, the boundaries we sense but cannot touch, and the mysteries of what lies just beyond the veil.

To enter this new space, I needed a new language. For the first time, I’ve turned to oil paint— drawn to its richness, its slow-drying patience, its ability to hold layers of thought and time. The colors I once relied on—bright, bold, unfiltered—have given way to deeper, more contemplative tones. Earthy, muted, veiled in softness. They speak not of immediacy, but of waiting, listening, and sensing.
Texture has become essential in this process. I’ve begun to explore contrast in new ways: between smooth and rough, clarity and haze, surface and depth. These physical differences echo the spiritual tension between body and soul, form and formlessness. Scale, too, has shifted. Some pieces are large and immersive, others intimate and contained—each chosen to match the emotional weight of what is being expressed.

This collection is not merely about the visual. It is about presence and absence. About what we carry, what we leave behind, and the liminal space in between. It is about transformation—not just of the soul, but of the artist, the medium, and the message.

Through these works, I hope to offer a place for reflection. A pause. A moment to look inward, and beyond.

Education

2011 Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design — BA, Textile Design
2007 Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design — Foundation

Solo Shows

2023 Uncertainty, Artbooth, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Group Shows

2024 Recap, Artbooth, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2023 Generational Gifts, Artbooth, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2023 La Tête Dans Les Nuages, Walls House of Art, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
2023 Her Voice, Her Power, UNDP Exhibition, Beirut, Lebanon
2023 Middle East Perspectives, Artkōrero, Dubai, UAE
2022 Haut en Couleurs, Les Plumes Galerie Elsie Braidi, Beirut, Lebanon
2022 All Eyes on You, Marie Jose Gallery, London, UK
2022 Haut en Bleu, Les Plumes Galerie Elsie Braidi, Beirut, Lebanon
2021 Survivors Ability, Artbooth, Beirut, Lebanon
2021 Collective Exhibition, Artbooth, Beirut, Lebanon
2014 Sista Browns Pop-Up, Beirut, Lebanon

Publications