4me4you recently visited Saatchi Yates Gallery to see the UK solo debut of Iraqi artist Miramar Al Nayyar, whose quietly powerful paintings invite viewers to slow down and look a little closer.
Self-taught and based between Amman and Abu Dhabi, Al Nayyar has built a practice that is deeply connected to the natural world. Rather than painting landscapes as we see them, she explores the forces that shape them over time.
Working with her whole body in a calm, almost meditative state, she gradually builds up layers of pigment until the painting feels complete. The result is a collection of works that feel organic, expressive and full of quiet energy.
A visit to Jordan’s ancient sandstone formations proved to be a defining moment for the artist, inspiring her to see rock as more than a solid object. For Al Nayyar, rock holds memory, preserving traces of time, movement and life.
That idea runs throughout the exhibition, where forms emerge slowly from textured surfaces, suggesting flowers, fossils, landscapes or even the chambers of a heart without ever settling into a single interpretation.
Created between the deserts of Jordan and the mountains of Lebanon, these latest paintings are built through layers of mineral grounds, pigment, airbrush and oil glazes. Rich earthy tones sit alongside darker canvases where delicate forms seem to appear out of the shadows. There is a sense of discovery in every piece, as though the images have been uncovered rather than painted.
What makes Al Nayyar’s work so engaging is its honesty. She trusts intuition over careful planning, allowing each painting to evolve naturally without forcing an outcome. The result is an exhibition that feels both deeply personal and universally connected to nature, time and the quiet rhythms that shape the world around us.
Artist: Miramar Al Nayyar
