Raya Matta

Raya Matta is a visual artist of Lebanese and Greek origin, living and working between Beirut and Athens. She holds a Master's degree in Architecture from the Academy of Arts in Beirut and founded the independent art space The ArtSpot. Her practice is deeply influenced by Lebanon's political and social instability, as well as by her architectural background, which informs the sharp compositions and structured viewpoints in her work. Through painting, Matta explores human figures, social rituals, and everyday objects as carriers of cultural, psychological, and symbolic meaning.

My work is rooted in lived experience and shaped by the instability of my surroundings. Growing up and working in Lebanon, I have witnessed how political uncertainty, social pressure, and sudden loss affect both individual lives and collective behavior. Painting allows me to observe, process, and question these realities.

My practice evolves through series, each reflecting a specific moment or rupture in my life. Crowded emerged from an unsafe political climate, while Baggage followed the 2020 Beirut explosion, addressing loss, displacement, and the destruction of my studio and work. In Totem, I explore social dependencies and human interactions, and in Oblivion, I confront the misuse of power by both leaders and societies.