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THE SPRING WILL COME
2019
35 x 18 x 18 cm
Brass, shell splinter, steel wire, acrylic glass
“Flower Power” Weapons transformed into symbols of hope. In the Flower Power series, each sculpture begins with a found object linked to war. Through symbolic forms and deceptively simple, poetic gestures, these remnants are reshaped into vessels of reflection, gently encouraging viewers to look again at a past many prefer to set aside. In a place where memories of the Lebanese Civil War are often tucked away or avoided, the work becomes an invitation to confront what has been left unexamined. The process is meditative and restorative. By transforming instruments of conflict into delicate yet powerful objects—framed in transparent cases that ask to be seen—the series turns the language of violence into one of healing and hope, opening space for renewed awareness, dialogue, and responsibility.
Nayla Romanos Iliya is a Lebanese architect and artist. Her formative years in a war-torn country, together with cross-cultural experiences in Paris, London, Hong Kong, and Dubai, have shaped her artistic journey. She worked in architecture and interior design before fully dedicating herself to sculpture in 2011. Her artistic practice explores themes of identity and social concern, merging critical subjects with a singular aesthetic, poetic yet powerful. Influenced by her architectural background, Romanos Iliya is equally at ease working on radically different scales, from monumental public art to intimate series. Her sculptures are found in private collections worldwide, as well as in public institutions including the Institut du Monde Arabe (Paris), the American University of Beirut Museum, the Bagri Foundation, and will soon join the collection of the British Museum. She currently lives between London and Beirut.