Nayla Romanos Iliya is a Lebanese architect and artist. Her numerous realizations in the field include projects of architecture, renovation and interior design in Lebanon.
Leaving her home country near the end of the civil war, she moved to Paris, then lived in London, Hong Kong and Dubai. During this period, she traveled extensively, was exposed to diverse cultures, and, earlier on, developed a strong interest in art. She pursued design and Feng Shui workshops, and co-curated an exhibition showcasing Lebanese designers at the Salon du Meuble, Paris. She started sculpting in 2011, became immediately passionate about it, and has been fully devoted to her art since.
Influenced by her architectural practice, Romanos Iliya approaches sculpture as such, replacing function with intuition. She works in a multi-disciplinary way, and is equally at ease working on radically different scales, from monumental public art to small size series, or even wearable art. Her formative years in a war-torn country, coupled with her cross-cultural experiences thereafter, are defining triggers in her work. While exploring her issues of identity and social concerns, she developed her own sense of aesthetics, intuitive and optimistic -no matter how critical the themes addressed are.
Her sculptures can be found in private collections, as well as in public ones, such as the Four Seasons Hotel in Abu Dhabi; she recently unveiled a permanent public art installation in downtown Beirut. She currently lives and works between London and Beirut.