JanineQuick chats: with
Faiza Ghanay, local artist
Chatting with Natalie Tharraleos
Hello East Leeds readers, I am a local artist from Leeds, originally from Libya, I took part as a key artist in the Harehills Culture Show in Shine on Harehills Rd last summer as part of project Leeds 2023 with the wonderful local Leeds Animation Workshop ( who are planning to do more events this year)
About Me
I do a range of paintings and drawings. The drawings are characterized by simplicity, strong colours, abstraction in some, and expressiveness in the other, and they are inspired by the surrounding ideas and daily life.
What materials do you enjoy using?
I used to use watercolours and paper, but now I use canvas and acrylic colours.
What does being creative mean to you?
It means a lot to me, drawing makes me feel better and less stressed and gives me the freedom to do something I love, I get inspiration from life and the people around me, and sometimes I draw upon how I feel myself or how others feel.
What does it feel like to hold your own exhibition?
I held my own first local exhibition on 22 May 2017 in Benghazi, Libya
I was very happy to do my own exhibition… as I did most of the work on my own, from coordinating the space and displaying the drawings, and the reactions were very satisfactory..the joy overwhelmed me to do this experience.
You can find artwork on Facebook ( Faiza Ghanay Art) and Instagram (Faiza Ghanay)
Contact me:
If you would like to buy a print or original, please get in touch
I am available as a freelance artist to facilitate community art sessions and workshops groups. Please contact me to chat about your project.
I can work city-wide.
I am available to take part in upcoming exhibitions.
Here’s a bit about some of my pictures:
I made this when I lived in Harehills, one of my drawings, the hare of Harehills, was inspired by the name of the area, a simple, colourful hare near to the hill, (The hare hills-2019)
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Hi Faiza – Lovely to see you and your work here. I am fairly sure we met when I was manager at Toast Love Coffee back in 2018/19 and I was showing some of your work as you were trying to get funding for some projects. So pleased that you are a working artist here in Harehills – well done! I am here working for Space2, in Gipton and we do lots of work across East Leeds. Space2 could be a possibility for you to show your work or maybe run some workshops, all depending on funding and opportunities. Loving some of your work here! Especially the red flowers!