Text: Sofia Dati & Marie Zolamian (interview), Vanessa Desclaux, Antony Hudek (FR/EN/NL)
Marie Zolamian (born 1975, Beirut) is a Belgian-Lebanese multidisciplinary artist of Armenian descent who grew up in Lebanon until the age of fifteen. She currently lives in Liège, where she has her studio and teaches at the Beaux-arts Academy. Zolamian’s visual work lies at the intersection between colourful, familiar scenes, art historical references and a déjà vu-like dream world in which magical silhouettes and creatures appear. She draws inspiration from icons, ex-votos and the images that illustrated the first medieval books: illuminated manuscripts and the art of miniature paintings — Persian, Armenian, Indian and Western.
The book ‘Le jardin sans soleil’ [The sunless garden] accompanies Zolamian’s solo exhibition ‘Confabulations’ at WIELS, Contemporary Art Center Brussels, from 21 February to 17 May 2026. While the exhibition covers more than two decades of artistic production, the book focuses on recent drawings and paintings. Book launch: Sun. 12 April, 3 pm
Whereas the paintings are rather tranquil and poetic—painted in murky greys, greens, browns and blues—the works on paper exude a delightful lightness and freedom. The drawings, made with a marker, ink or pencil on thin A3 paper, feature figures—human or animal—moving in absurd situations and associative combinations on the page, without apparent rhyme or reason, beginning or end. Some creatures are modest and dreamy, others more bold or mischievous, but never violent.
In addition to an interview with Sofia Dati, the curator of the exhibition at WIELS, the book contains essays by Vanessa Desclaux and Antony Hudek.
