Hadi Slayman

I’m a visual artist based in Edmonton, Canada. I’m almost exclusively an oil painter, mostly producing portraits on canvas. I use portraiture as an artistic outlet, often infusing my own moods into the image whilst pursuing a likeness.

In terms of artistic background, for me it all started with drawing; it was an activity that dominated my childhood, and I continued to draw throughout my teens and twenties. In my thirties I decided to indulge my interest in portraiture by seeking more formal training. I completed a number of classes at the Alberta College of Art and Design (now Alberta University of the Arts), focusing on portraiture and figure painting. Although I’m an admirer of European expressionism, I feel that my mixed cultural heritage played an important role in my style. I was born in Beirut to a Lebanese family. My family and I emigrated when I was a toddler and eventually settled in Australia. I spent twenty years there before moving to Alberta, Canada in 2008. It is inevitable that the broad range of artistic traditions I’ve had the privilege to appreciate in Lebanon, Australia, and Canada have all played a role in my development.