ArtDayMe: The solo exhibition of Samia Halaby, the pioneering Palestinian-American artist, titled Abstract in Motion, is currently on view at Sfeir-Semler Downtown, Beirut. Presented as a tribute to the doyenne of the gallery’s roster, the show brings together paintings on canvas from the 1980s to 2025, alongside her seminal digital works.

Born in Jerusalem in 1936 and now based in New York, Halaby is recognized as a leading figure in abstract art. Since the 1980s, she has moved beyond the conventional framework of the canvas to explore the possibilities of digital art, developing her Kinetic Painting Program that transformed the keyboard of her personal computer into a live painting instrument for performances.

Reflecting on her practice, art critic Jean-Marc Prevost notes:

“Halaby’s innovative approach to abstraction has consistently explored new modes of expression. Her Kinetic Paintings—with their forms, sounds, colors, and rhythms—not only mirror the present moment but also respond to technological revolutions and social realities that reshape our relationship with space.”

The exhibition Samia Halaby: Abstract in Motion runs from August 21 to November 3, 2025, at Sfeir-Semler Downtown, Beirut.

Photos credit: Sfeir-Semler Gallery