Artist's Statement
My work is rooted in transformation—of materials, memory, and meaning. I’ve spent my life between cultures and countries, and that constant movement shaped how I see and create. Whether I’m painting, sculpting, or composing, I’m always looking for what lies just beyond the surface—something spiritual, surreal, or quietly mythic.
I collect discarded objects and natural materials from beaches, forests, cities—wherever I am. Toys, scrap metal, plastic, roots, fossils, and branches are reborn as sculptures or surrealist collages. These found pieces carry their own stories, and when combined, they take on new life—whimsical but also meaningful, like fragments of a larger mythology.
In painting, I’m drawn to abstract forms, dreamlike landscapes, and movement that feels emotional rather than literal. Color, texture, and brushwork become a language of their own. I want viewers to feel like they’re entering a different realm—one that’s both familiar and strange, grounded and otherworldly.
Art is how I make sense of experience. It’s a way to connect, to explore the unknown, and to reflect the sacred in everyday things. Through my work, I invite people to slow down, look closer, and imagine new ways of seeing the world.
Artist's Bio
Marwan W. Nahlé is a Lebanese-American painter, multimedia artist, and musician, born in 1965. He currently lives and works in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has been active internationally since 1984. Raised in a highly creative environment, Marwan is the son of the celebrated Lebanese Master Painter Wajih Nahlé. He was surrounded by art from the very beginning—experimenting with materials beneath his father’s studio table as a child.
By age 10, he was already making recycled art, a style that would later become a core part of his practice. At 14, he completed his first large-scale collage, and in 1988, he held his debut exhibition, which marked the beginning of his lifelong commitment to art.
Marwan’s work has been exhibited in private collections and museums across Lebanon, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Greece, Jordan, Dubai, Australia, and the Canary Islands. In the U.S., his shows have reached audiences in New York, California, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Minnesota, Utah, and Hawaii.
In addition to his visual work, Marwan composes music and creates short films that often accompany his art. As a full-time artist and educator, he’s passionate about helping people of all ages explore creativity with openness, curiosity, and playfulness.
