Lara Zankoul

Lara Zankoul is a multidisciplinary artist born in 1987 in Beirut (Lebanon). She trained in economics, and it was only in 2008, at the age of 21, that she began to teach herself photography. Her photographic work began as a form of personal expression and exploration of her artistic vision. In particular, she experimented with the bokeh effect, which later became a key element of her work. Today, Lara Zankoul is open to other media, even if photography remains at the heart of her practice. She produces numerous videos, installations and 3D animations. The artist draws her inspiration as much from Surrealist and Renaissance paintings, photographers Tim Walker and Annie Leibovitz, as from the human sciences including psychology. 

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She doesn't just want to document reality, she wants to experience it. Lara Zankoul uses real sets or sets constructed on a human scale, more realistic than life itself. These are odes to Lebanese architecture, specifically that of Beirut, where we see partitioned spaces, painted wall ornaments, or traditional windows and tiles. In the background, for example, you can see her grandparents' house, or sets created from scratch in his aquatic series, such as The Unseen. In these cases, it's the addition of offbeat elements that gives the scene its totally surreal aspect, since Lara Zankoul doesn't manipulate her images digitally; everything you see in her photographs is actually present in the image. The artist constructs a dreamlike, surrealistic creative space where anything is possible. She achieves a final result that is extremely close to her expectations thanks to a rigorous, meticulous control of every aspect of her compositions (sets, costumes, characters, lighting, make-up, etc.). Her meticulous attention to detail allows her to create captivating visual narratives, imbued with surrealism, fantasy, dreaminess and reflection. Lara Zankoul creates photographs that are beautiful and appealing, but nothing is left to chance. Every image has a story behind it. In her photographs she captures human behavior, social issues and themes that can provoke the viewer to ask questions. In this way, she creates a conceptual narrative that is more akin to deciphering puzzles than a linear discourse. Lara Zankoul's aim is not to provide an answer to a problem, but to encourage the viewer to reflect on the subject, a process that is particularly evident in her series The Unseen. In this series, she further pushes the boundaries of surrealism by creating human-sized aquariums, decorated and equipped to make the environment seem real, which serve as backdrops for her photographs. Water is a constitutive element of the work, exploiting the invisibility, duality, or contrast between the submerged and the submerged. What is above the surface is what is visible, and what is submerged is the hidden reality. In this way, she tackles complex social, societal and political issues, inviting the viewer to consider their own feelings and interpretations of the scene. Lara Zankoul "[...] invites the viewer to decipher the hidden symbols and interact with the image to reflect on reality and personal experience. What seems so unreal at first may be closer to the complexities of our minds than we think".

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​Since 2014, Lara Zankoul has been exhibiting in group and solo exhibitions nationally and internationally. In Beirut, she has exhibited at Ayyam and Art Lounge galleries, and abroad at Guy Hepner Gallery in New York and HEIST Gallery in London. Her photographs have also been featured in prestigious fashion publications such as Vogue and Haper's Bazaar. She is a finalist in the 2021 Hasselblad Masters and winner of the third edition of Broncolor's Gen Next. 

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Text written by Sarah Maurin - copyright ART GIRLS