Carel Marso

b. 1994, Lebanon

Carel Marso is an artist based in Beirut, Lebanon. Her practice is rooted in illustration and painting, where she explores the intricate connections between emotion and the dichotomy of familiarity. Her work visualizes the intangible aspects of human experience, navigating the delicate space between the concrete and the fantastical.

Through landscape, form, and mood, she constructs a unique reality that bridges the gap between what is observable and imagined. Working across various mediums, from intricate line work to complex 2D and 3D shapes, her approach ranges from precise, minimal gestures to elaborate abstractions that evoke a profoundly familiar sensation.

This interplay between familiarity and absurdity is central to her practice, reflecting the paradoxes and complexities of contemporary existence. Yet within this tension, there is an intentional sense of calm, a quiet counterbalance that allows space for reflection. Her use of color, though rich and layered, remains restrained, offering a softness that enables the eye to rest.

The harmony between movement and stillness within her compositions creates a meditative quality, where contrast does not disrupt but instead unfolds gently. By embracing both the unsettling and the serene, Marso’s work invites viewers into a moment of stillness, where contemplation emerges not despite contradiction but because of it. In this way, calm and rest are not passive states in her practice but active constructs that shape perception, offering a space where complexity and quietude coexist.