Ihab Ahmad pauses to rewind at Firetti Contemporary exhibition

Firetti Contemporary is inaugurating I Put My Brain On Pause!, a solo exhibition by Lebanese artist Ihab Ahmad, on June 20. The body of work to be displayed marks a bold turning point in the artist’s career — a shift toward emotional freedom, instinctive creation, and joyful surrender.

For the first time in his practice, Ihab introduces smiling faces into his paintings — representations of moments, people and memories, that have left an unforgettable imprint on his life. They are not just aesthetic choices to fill up a space, but deeply personal portraits of human connection.

The artist explores the emotional terrain through a new approach, working with oil on linen and spray paint, to blur the lines between abstraction and figuration. He has also gone so far as to paint several works using his non-dominant left hand, thus releasing control and allowing instinct to take over.

The result is a series of vibrant, unfiltered compositions — raw, playful, and somehow, intimate. “Creating this show was a way for me to understand and express myself more honestly,” Ihab says. “I let go of technical perfection and gave in to what I was feeling. Each work is an emotional record of my experience with people — real or imagined.”

Abracadabra, in acrylic and oil on linen.

Alongside the paintings, a series of totem-like wooden sculptures brings his cast of surreal characters into three-dimensional space. The sculptural forms extend Ihab’s whimsical universe beyond the canvas, transforming the gallery into a living, breathing expression of his inner world.

As part of an ongoing collaboration between Firetti Contemporary and Lamborghini Dubai, I Put My Brain On Pause! will feature the exclusive unveiling of a Lamborghini, transformed by Ihab Ahmad into a vibrant, mobile artwork. The artistic mediation marks an audacious interlink between contemporary art and iconic automotive design — where Ihab’s emotionally charged visual language spills outside the canvas and onto the body of a Lamborghini. Inspired by the characters in his paintings and sculptures, the vehicle becomes a moving extension of the artist’s universe — surreal, joyful, and unrestrained. The work challenges perceptions of luxury, performance and identity, asking: what happens when an object of speed and control becomes a vessel for spontaneity and emotional expression?

“The collaboration represents Firetti Contemporary’s commitment to fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue between art, culture, and innovation — bringing the artist’s vision into unexpected public realms, and continuing to redefine where and how contemporary art lives,” says Celine Azem, curator. “I Put My Brain On Pause! is more than an exhibition — it is a moment of creative release. It is a space where intellect or rationality steps aside and emotion paves the way. Ihab Ahmad invites us not only to see, but to feel — to witness what happens when the artist hands the brush over to the heart.”

Composition titled Inside a Blackhole.

Born in Beirut in 1983, Ihab studied Visual Communication Art from the Lebanese University. He expanded his artistic journey by participating in various art workshops focusing on silkscreen printing, painting, and drawing. He enjoys exploring unconventional techniques and materials in his artistic practice, prompting him to go outside the canvas and explore the realm of metal and wood sculptures. In his paintings, Ihab transforms ordinary images into joyful shapes and vibrant patterns. He describes the majority of his pieces as exploring concepts relating to universal harmony, as well as the connection between nature and humanity. “I draw what my imagination carries from childhood: memory and beauty. I hold a message of hope in my paintings,” he says.

The vivid works often feature recurring symbols such as fish, eyes, and trees, which are interwoven with bold patterns and geometric forms. He has developed a symbiotic relationship with these familiar yet imaginary symbols, all of which emerge as intense and bright abstraction. In his art, Ihab invites viewers into an imaginative world, an escape from reality into a vibrant and mystical one, where each viewer becomes a storyteller, crafting and interpreting their own narratives. The artwork celebrates life — joyous, uplifting and energetic - with distinguishable abstract, contemporary, and pop-art elements. They characterise pristine childish joy, juxtaposed with the difficulties of youth. His subject matter is inspired by his childhood memories and his artworks feature creatures he plays with, by connecting various figures in a harmonised and vivid ambience, in a land free of fear, worry, or malice. Everything that is alive during childhood is grist for his art mill.

Me by Ihab Ahmad.

Ihab’s message of hope in his artworks is a gift for the people of his generation, who want to move forward and live in a better Lebanon and, naturally, a better world. His formula is to use painting to marginalise frustrations and focus on dreaming. He believes if we do not have the resources to make change, we can all at least dream of it. He is influenced by Paul Klee and has exhibited his works in Beirut, Miami, China, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, France among other countries. Firetti Contemporary aligns art and creative concepts from the region and beyond. It encourages global engagement and strives to create sustainable collections. Representing both established and emerging artists from all over the world, the gallery is engaged in evolving a multidisciplinary art space, with a strong identity to an international platform. It supports a network of collaborations and has become an integral part of the local community. The gallery’s mandate includes being a vehicle for sustainability and social change, reinforcing values through the inspirational power of art.