Bio
I am an architect by training, I grew up thinking in lines, shapes, proportions, and spaces.
When I first began painting, I naturally painted what I knew—landscapes, figures, flowers, fragments of nature. I would spend hours creating them, only to feel, once they were finished, that something was missing.
Sometimes I would cover them with paint. Sometimes I would almost destroy them.
I didn’t understand it then. I only knew that the shapes were making me anxious. They were too defined, too certain. They were saying something, but never quite what I was trying to say.
I was looking for a way to paint something that had no shape yet.
Then I discovered abstraction.
And somehow, I stopped searching.
I found myself in color, in pigment, in movement, in layers and unexpected forms. I found freedom in allowing the painting to evolve rather than controlling where it would go.
Today, I don’t begin with the intention of painting something recognizable. I begin with a feeling, a memory, a sensation—and I let the pigments find their own language.
For me, painting is not about reproducing what exists.
It is about giving color to what cannot be seen.
That is where I found myself.
In colors. In pigments. In the freedom between them.
Stef Kai
Exhibitions & Collaborations
o 2025/2026 – Solo Exhibition, Alwan Loubnan / Colors Of Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon
o 2025 – Collective Exhibition, Urbanist Art Gallery, Dubai, UAE
o 2024 – Solo Exhibition, The Harmony of Nature, Beirut, Lebanon
o 2024 – Solo Exhibition, SFM Corporate Services, Dubai, UAE
o 2024 – Solo Exhibition & Live Art Presentation, BSA LAW in Collaboration with the French Embassy in UAE, with the presence of the French Ambassador H.E M. Nicolas Niemtchinow, Dubai, UAE
o 2023 Solo Exhibition & Live Art Presentation, La Cantine du Faubourg, Dubai, UAE
o 2023 Solo Exhibition, Tchaikovski Gallery, Nice, France
o 2023 Collective Art Exhibition in Collaboration with Ms. Aurore Morisse, Beirut, Lebanon
o 2023 For you Beirut Exhibition, Phoenicia Hotel, Beirut, Lebanon
o 2022 Arab Art Fair, Beirut, Lebanon
o 2022 United Beirut Exhibition, Beirut Arab Chambers of Commerce, Lebanon
o 2022 Nice Art Expo, Nice, France
o 2021 Collective Art Exhibition in Collaboration with Mr. Stephane Vanhandenhoven and Ms. Caroline Margeridon, Beirut, Lebanon
o 2020 Solo Art Exhibition, Arts over coffee, Beirut, Lebanon
Artistic Collaboration: “De Beyrouth à Paris” – Masri Group & French Embassy in Beirut
Year: 2025
Medium / Format: Original painting
Location: Beirut, Lebanon
Stef Kai created the artwork “De Beyrouth à Paris” in collaboration with Masri Group, presented to H.E. Mr. Hervé Magro, the French Ambassador in Lebanon. The piece reflects the deep cultural and artistic connections between Lebanon and France, translating shared histories, landscapes, and artistic sensibilities into a vibrant abstract composition. Today, the artwork is housed at the Pine Residence in Beirut, symbolizing a gesture of cultural dialogue and enduring friendship between the two countries.
Artistic Collaboration: “I Am Beirut” – Beirut Marathon
Year: 2022
Medium / Format: Outdoor artistic expression on concrete walls
Location: Beirut, Lebanon
Stef Kai contributed a large-scale, site-specific installation for the Beirut Marathon under the theme “I Am Beirut”. The work transformed urban concrete walls into vibrant abstract expressions, celebrating the city’s resilience, energy, and communal spirit. The piece invited runners and viewers alike to engage with Beirut’s vitality through color, gesture, and movement, creating a dynamic dialogue between public space, athletic performance, and artistic expression.
Artistic Collaboration: “Harmony Edition” – Barista Espresso
Year: 2021
Medium / Format: Designed limited-edition coasters
Location: Beirut, Lebanon / Distributed across GCC
Stef Kai participated in a collaborative artistic project with four Lebanese artists for Barista Espresso’s “Harmony Edition”. Each artist selected a color and designed a series of coasters that translated personal and collective experiences into visual expression. The edition was distributed throughout the GCC, reflecting both the economic situation in Lebanon and a message of resilience and hope. The project explored harmony through color, gesture, and design, transforming everyday objects into symbols of cultural dialogue and optimism.
—————————————————————————————-
