About the Artist
Rawan is Lebanese Palestinian by heritage, was born in London, educated in Switzerland and lived between London and Germany before moving to Dubai, where she now resides in the UAE with her husband and three beautiful daughters. A graphic designer by trade, she spent 15 years working in advertising agencies on global campaigns. However, Rawan’s passion for art which started from the age of four meant she continuously exceeded expectations in art classes, and excelled in studying commercial arts at the American University in London. At that time, computers weren’t an integral part of the design process, and everything including layouts and typography was crafted by hand. This experience and passion for craft and producing art drove Rawan to consistently experiment over the years with different mediums and techniques, such as painting, drawing and typography, searching for her real passion alongside her career.
She went on to work with Janan Studio, designing and custom painting high-end leather fashion & accessories, transitioning from the advertising world to working directly with clients who are art & design aficionados and collectors.
Many of these clients shared her love for a sweet tooth, and the simple joys and pleasures that chocolate can bring. Blending this with her other love of art and craft, one day she subconsciously created a decorative chocolate using her children’s clay. Eight months later, she found herself having completed over 500 intricate sweet art pieces and becoming utterly satisfied without intaking the calories that come with a sweet tooth.
She realized the versatility and beauty of working with clay, and started experimenting with different mediums until she created her first piece of art, through which she could communicate her message to the world. Her first-ever chocolate art was created on Valentine’s Day 2022 using polymer clay, acrylic, and mixed media; named “Ceci n’est pas un chocolat”.
Since then, many collectors and celebrities have housed Rawan’s latest work on their walls, making their homes a sweeter place. Rawan’s latest collection can be viewed on Instagram @rawansirry.
The Art
Like people, my ‘chocolates’ are organic creations, unique individuals, that take on personalities, genders, colors, and styles. They have ages, attitudes, tastes, and purposes. They are created capturing desires and, like the first human, formed out of love, clay, and heat.
Similar to how individuals are different, these ‘chocolates’ awaken the desire in different people.
However, their collective purpose is to evoke happiness, grow as a community, and manifest desires. In addition to that, they celebrate individuality, from the colorful, sparkly, edgy, complex, and wild to the simple, consistent, elegant, and serene.
These sculptures are all unique, one of a kind which makes it special to every collector.