Yasmina Hilal: Honouring heritage through haunting collages

Art is in Yasmin Hilal’s blood, her eye for composition inherited. After all, the visionary Lebanese fashion photographer and mixed media creative descends from two two generations of artists: her mother and grandmother. And though inspired by these family matriarchs, Yasmina has also carved out her own path, with her work heavily centred on collaging different mediums and the use of unconventional methods to create work that stirs the heart. 

Permeating every facet of her art is honour; be it in representing her homeland, Lebanon, or in taking after the women in her family, Hilal’s art carries the weight and integrity of her indelible respect for her roots. “The true source of my inspiration comes from my mother and grandmother,” she shares with Dazed MENA. “My mother, a collage artist and photographer, gave me my first camera, which set me on my path. My grandmother’s passion for fashion became something deeply ingrained in me as well. Being able to do what I love while honouring my grandmother and mother is incredibly rewarding.”

Her show I See Me in You, which exhibited in Brussels last year at MENART FAIR, was a mesmerising tribute to the empowerment of women in society. The pieces came about when she was quarantined in her grandmother’s home during the pandemic, confining her in what she found to be a cache of creativity. It was during this time that she rediscovered her mother’s blue velvet wedding dress, along with several other treasures and trinkets around the house, and the idea for the series surged through her in a rush of fascinated reminiscence. She then photographed a number of women, herself included, in her mother’s and grandmother’s clothes on film—committed to the vintage theme—and transformed the images into collages and sculptures. “Having the opportunity to share work related to my culture with a wider audience left a lasting impact on me,” Hilal explains to Dazed about the show. 

The collages resulted in a literal reframing of the way we look at women, fractured, moulded, twisted behind misty lenses and dreamy resin. The objects are evocative and powerful, almost as though the artist immortalised the souls of the women she depicted in them, phylacteries dressed in gold flakes and ornate frames. Under Hilal’s touch, the women themselves become heirlooms. “I See Me in You was inspired by a desire to honour the empowering women in our society who have shaped our lives,” she tells Dazed. “I aspire to keep pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a woman in the Middle East… I want to challenge and redefine the traditional boundaries and expectations placed on women.”

Haunting and ethereal, her pieces combine elements of shadow play and distorted reflections to create movement and mystery. One of her pieces “Ripples in a Pond” (2022), mimics the fidgeting mirage of a water’s surface around a photograph of a woman in a white lace dress, which had been passed down through Hilal’s family. It’s a display of the artist’s tactile play with different materials; the refracted distortions around the photograph give it a hazy, elusive feel. “By combining my love for traditional methods with a contemporary vision, I hope to push artistic boundaries and inspire others to question societal norms,” the artist says. Heritage, reflection, legacy, and nostalgia come together here to represent the beauty and imperfections of remembering. 

Along with her familial inspiration, Hilal’s work is deeply tied to her connection with Beirut. Despite the brutal hardships Lebanon continues to face, Hilal remains committed to capturing the spirit of her home, imbuing its undying beauty and wonder in her work even when she’s working abroad. “What fuels my creative process is being at home,” she explains. “Beirut, with all its chaos, serves as a unique source of inspiration for me. From its distinctive corners to its rich culture and history, the people here all have powerful stories to tell.”

With several group exhibitions scheduled in London, Hilal’s talent certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed. The artist also has an upcoming solo exhibition in the works for the near future where she hopes to explore new formats for her ideas. Her work is a reminder to cherish the stories and objects that have shaped us, to remember what came before us, to indulge in the misty liminality of the past.