NATHALIE KHAYAT
b. 1966, LebanonNathalie Khayat is a Lebanese-Canadian contemporary artist whose poetic ceramic artworks bridge the realms of sculpture and function, exploring the organic possibilities of clay through a practice rooted in intuition, experimentation, and a dialogue with nature.
Early Years
Born in Beirut in 1966, Nathalie Khayat grew up in Lebanon before moving to Montreal, Canada, where she studied ceramics at the Centre de Céramique Bonsecours and the Visual Arts Centre. After several years of working and exhibiting in Canada, she returned to Beirut in 1999 and established her studio, where she continues to create and teach. Khayat also maintains a second studio in the mountains above Batroun, Lebanon, drawing inspiration from the surrounding landscape and light. She divides her time between Beirut and Montreal and has exhibited her contemporary art internationally across Europe, North America, and the Middle East.
Nathalie Khayat Artworks
Known for her undulating porcelain and stoneware vessels, Khayat’s art is characterised by its sensual forms and tactile surfaces
Khayat’s ceramic artworks are characterised by their organic, often coral-like forms and a process that incorporates chance, accident, and the inherent properties of clay. She works primarily with porcelain and stoneware, shaping vessels and sculptural objects that evoke the dualities of the natural world-growth and decay, violence and calm, life and death. Her practice frequently begins on the potter’s wheel before evolving through hand-building, reconstruction, and experimental firing techniques, including raku.
Embracing Process and Material
Khayat’s approach is deeply intuitive, focusing on the tactile and emotional qualities of clay. For many years, she preferred working in white and with minimal glaze, highlighting the purity of form and the play of light on surface. More recently, she has begun to incorporate colour and explore new firing methods, expanding the expressive range of her contemporary artworks.
Function and Poetry
Her works blur the boundary between the functional and the sculptural, transforming everyday objects-such as bowls, vases, and candle holders-into vessels for contemplation and creativity. Khayat’s ceramics invite users to engage imaginatively, seeing each piece as a prompt for new rituals and personal expression. Nature, music, choreography, and film are among her key inspirations, and she describes her process as one of playful exploration, open to accident and surprise.
Website and Instagram
Nathalie Khayat’s website: nathaliekhayat.com, and Instagram: @nathaliekhayatceramics
Nathalie Khayat FAQs
How does Nathalie Khayat’s background influence her art?
Khayat’s upbringing in Lebanon and training in Montreal have shaped her sensitivity to light, landscape, and material, infusing her contemporary art with both Mediterranean and North American influences.
What materials and techniques does she use?
She primarily works with porcelain and stoneware, using wheel-throwing, hand-building, and experimental firing methods such as raku to create her artworks.
Does she see her works as functional or sculptural?
Khayat’s pieces often blur the boundaries between function and sculpture, inviting users to find their own meaning and use in each artwork.
Is teaching part of her practice?
Yes, since 2000, Khayat has taught ceramics in her Beirut studio, building a creative community and sharing her approach to contemporary art with students.
What inspires her creative process?
Her intuitive process is inspired by music, movement, film, and the unpredictable nature of clay, with each piece evolving through accident, chance, and playful experimentation.
Ocula | 2025
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