About
Yasmin Hayat (b.1990) is a British-Syrian artist who studied painting at Central Saint Martins (University of Arts London) before specialising in the arts of the SWANA region at the Prince's Foundation School of Traditional Arts. After graduating with distinction in geometry and miniature painting, Yasmin developed a language of painting which is derived from an old Arabic style and incorporates contemporary Western and Indo-Persian techniques. Her work is a considered blend of Eastern and Western methodology which she uses to explore themes of migration, heritage, and memory. In 2018, Yasmin was awarded the Kairos prize by His Royal Highness, King Charles and Professor Keith Critchlow for her paintings which preserve and celebrate traditional art practices and techniques.
Yasmin experiments with pigments which she hand makes from minerals, plants and earths. These tactile and luminous colours, which are consciously selected due to their relation to the painted subject, result in a dimensional finish which transforms, moves and reflects, just like the stories depicted. Yasmin sources the raw materials from around the world and meticulously refines and processes these ingredients to craft an individualised palette, which is completely unique to each painting.
Yasmin Hayat has led workshops and masterclasses at prestigious institutions worldwide including the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Watts Gallery, Amateo (The European Network for Cultural Activities), The British Arts Council, the National Trust, The Princes Foundation and at the Al Burda Festival in Abu Dhabi. She has collaborated with high end interior design company Soane Britain and with architectural firm Own Lonon, where her work used throughout the interior of the Michelin Bib recommended Imad's Syrian Kitchen.
Awards
2018 Kairos Award
2016 Al Bukhary Scholarship.
Solo Exhibitions
2023 Yasmin Hayat: Timeless Vision, Jonathan Cooper Gallery, London.
Permanent, Public Art Collections
Aga Khan Gallery, London.
Sarmaya Arts Foundation.
Group Exhibitions
2024 Musawwari: Miniatures Today, Ojas Art, New Delhi
2024 The Quran: Form, Fragrance and Feeling, Aga Khan Gallery, London.
2023 Start Art Fair, Saatchi Gallery, London
2023 Jonathan Cooper: 35 Years, Jonathan Cooper Gallery, London.
2023 Art on a Postcard, Soho Revue Gallery, London.
2022 The Miniature Show, Jonathan Cooper Gallery, London.
2022 Egyptomania, Soane Britain, London.
2022 Spotlight on New Talents, Jonathan Cooper Gallery, London.
2021 Paradise Gardens, Aga Khan Gallery, London.
2019 Carpet Pages II: Roots, Mile end Gallery, London.
2019 Yasmin Hayat, Watts Gallery, Guilford.
2019 Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, Mall Galleries, London.
2018 The Chelsea Art Society’s Annual Exhibition, London, UK.
2018 The Alumni Show, Yuan Centre, Suzhou, China.
2018 The Degree Show, Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, London.
2016 Create for Calais, London.
2014 Tales of a Genocide, London.
2013 Degree Show, Central Saint Martins, London.
Publications & Press.
2024 Elements by Stephen Ellcock, Thames & Hudson
2024 New Delhi to witness an exhibition on Musawwari artwork, India Times, India.
2022 Living with Art, Veranda Magazine, Issue 5, Volume 36, USA.
2022 Creatives at Home, Home & Gardens Magazine, UK.
2021 British-Syrian Artist Yasmin Hayat’s Meaningful Miniatures. Arab News
2020 Does the Arab World (Still) Exist? Arab World Institute, Paris.
2019 In Her Courtyard: Reflections on Structures of Impermanence, Talin Hazbar, Abu Dhabi.
2018 Featured artist, Google Arts and Culture.
2018 Arab Arts in London: Degree Show Spotlight, Arab British Centre.
Appearances, Collaborations, Clients, Workshops & Partnerships.
UCL, London
William Morris Gallery, London.
Soane Britain, London.
Own London
The British Arts Council
The National Trust
The Aga Khan Gallery, London.
The Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
The British Museum, London.
Imads Syrian Kitchen
Al Burda Festival – The Barakat Trust, UAE.
The Princes Foundation School of Traditional Arts, London.
Amateo Network, Belgium.
The Watts Gallery, Guildford.