Burj El Hawa, Beirut 2018 - Photo by George Azar
Environmental sensitivity, politics, architecture, and heritage come together in pursuit of healing in my artistic practice. The medium and techniques are constantly changing in response to the serendipities and contexts I encounter. With a sense of urgency and site-specificity, my projects range from visual installations to socially engaged practices.
Bio:
Jad El Khoury’s work has been shown internationally. He was awarded the Arte Laguna Prize for Urban Art and Land Art in 2019.
Currently based in Oslo, Norway. He graduated with a masters degree in Interior Architecture from the Lebanese University in 2016 and a masters degree in Art and Public Space from Oslo National Academy of the Arts in 2022.
Jad El Khoury first started working with war traces found on buildings of Lebanon in 2016. “Being from the first post civil-war generation, transforming accidental monuments of bitterness in the city into choreographed installations dancing with the wind, was a necessity”; a poetic method of rebelling against religious sectarianism. “Burj El Hawa” (Tower of the Wind, 2018) was the highlight of Jad’s work on war traces, which he produced before moving to Oslo in 2020.
Jad El Khoury
Contact Information
Email: jadelkhoury@hotmail.com
Website: jadelkhouryart.com
Instagram: @jadelkhoury.art
Languages: Fluent in spoken and written Arabic, English, and French.
Software: Advanced proficiency in AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop, Blender, and Adobe InDesign.
Education
2019–2022
Master’s degree in Art and Public Space, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Norway.
2012–2014
Master’s degree in Architecture, Lebanese University, Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture, Lebanon.
2009–2012
Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Lebanese University, Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture, Lebanon.
Awards, Grants, and Art Residencies
- Sigrids Stue, Aarhus, Denmark, 2026.
- Curatorial Program for Research (CPR), New York, USA, 2025.
- Nordic Artists’ Centre Dale residency, Dale, Norway, 2024.
- Åfjord Art Residency, Åfjord, Norway, 2023.
- Work grant from BKV, Norway, 2023.
- Artist’s studio at Oslo City Hall, Oslo, Norway, 2022–2025.
- Arts Council Norway artist grant, Oslo, Norway, 2022.
- BKH Art Student Grant, received twice, Oslo, Norway, 2021 and 2022.
- Mildred’s Lane Art Residency, New York, USA, 2022.
- PRAKSIS Art Residency, Oslo, Norway, 2021–.
- Cité Internationale des Arts residency, Paris, France, 2020.
- Nuart Festival residency, Stavanger, Norway, 2019.
- Farm Cultural Park residency, Sicily, Italy, 2019.
- Arte Laguna Prize, main prize in the Urban Art and Land Art category, Venice, Italy, 2019.
- Fallani Venezia Art Residency, Venice, Italy, 2017.
Competition Shortlists and Nominations
- Finalist in an open-call competition organized by the City of Oslo Art Collection for a public artwork at Holmlia Parken.
- Invited by the City of Oslo Art Collection to participate in a closed competition for a public artwork at Thorleif Kleves Square in Mortensrud.
- Selected as one of ten finalists for the 22 July National Memorial competition organized by KORO, Norway.
- Nominated for the 2022 International Award for Public Art for the Burj El Hawa project.
Artistic Research Projects
- Open House, Drammen Municipality, Drammen, Norway, 2025.
- Healing Blanket, Gallery F15, Moss, Norway, 2022.
- Care Portal, STRAAT Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 2021.
- Winking House, Nitja Centre for Contemporary Art, Lillestrøm, Norway, 2021.
- Halle aux Vents, Halle aux Sucres, Dunkirk, France, 2019.
- 13th of April, National Museum of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, 2019.
- Beirut Pavilion, Farm Cultural Park, Sicily, Italy, 2019.
- Beirut, Nuart Street Art Festival, Stavanger, Norway, 2019.
- Burj El Hawa, independent project at Burj El Murr, Beirut, Lebanon, 2018.
- War Piece, independent project, Beirut, Lebanon.
Solo Exhibitions
- Serendipity Fabric, Østfold Kunstsenter, Fredrikstad, Norway, 2026.
- Soft Shields, Galerie Tanit, Beirut, Lebanon, 2023.
- Curtain Show, Nordic Black Theatre, Oslo, Norway, 2022.
- Burj El Hawa, Platform 39, Beirut, Lebanon, 2018.
- Connection, French Institute Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon, 2018.
- Road to Black, Contemporary Art Platform, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 2017.
- War Piece, Al Bustan, Beit Mery, Lebanon, 2017.
Group Exhibitions
- Freedom Recalled, Beit Beirut Museum and Art Design Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon, 2025.
- Soft Shields, Kunstnerforbundet, Oslo, Norway, 2025.
- Anti-Action Figures, presented as part of Everything Could Go at Mildred’s Lane, New York, USA, 2022.
- Winking Man, KHiO Graduation Exhibition and ROM Architecture Triennale Exhibition, Oslo, Norway, 2022.
- Single Woman, FA Gallery, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 2016.
Public Talks and Presentations
- Sigrids Stue, Gellerup Library, Aarhus, Denmark, 2026.
- Kulturytring, Drammen Library, Drammen, Norway, 2025.
- Steder for empati og endring, presented as part of the Mesén Seminar, Gamle Munch, Oslo, Norway, 2024.
- Snøhetta, Oslo, Norway, 2024.
- National Museum of Norway, presentation of the 22 July National Memorial proposal, Oslo, Norway, 2024.
- Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway, 2023.
- Grape Architects, Oslo, Norway, 2020.
- University of Technology Sydney School of Architecture, Cities Under Surveillance project, Sydney, Australia, 2019.
- TEDx at the Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon.
Scenography Experience
- Poverty Slaps, but We Slap Back Harder, performed at Nordic Black Theatre and Oslo World, 2025.
- Poverty Slaps, but We Slap Back Harder, performed at Gamle Munch, Oslo, Norway, 2025.
- Hope Road 56 Revisited, performed at Nordic Black Theatre and the Oslo Opera House, 2024.
- Ruth Reese, performed at Nordic Black Theatre and the Oslo Opera House, 2022.
Design Work
- Zebox offices, mural paintings and installations, Washington, USA, 2019.
- Swatch spring collection, limited-edition watch design, sold internationally, 2019.
- Alghanim International head office, commissioned artworks, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 2019.
- Solana spring collection, limited-edition shoe design, New York, USA, 2019.
- IXSIR Winery summer edition, wine-label design, Beirut, Lebanon, 2016.
Architecture Experience
Alghanim International — Site Architect
Kuwait City, Kuwait | December 2015–June 2016
Worked on the construction of the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre.
Hapsitus — Architect and Designer
Beirut, Lebanon | September 2014–June 2015
Worked on the development of The Cloud of Dubai project.
Blank Workshop — Interior Architect
Beirut, Lebanon | January 2012–September 2013
Worked on a range of residential, office, and restaurant interior architecture projects.