Spelling Bowl

Balsam Abo Zour is a Lebanese Visual Artist. She received her BFA in fine arts from Lebanese University of Fine Art (2008) and a Masters degree in Printmaking from ALBA (2012). Balsam’s work evolved at Ashkal Alwan, where She maintained a studio space from 2013-2017 as part of its residency program. She has had solo exhibitions and group exhibitions in Lebanon and Europe.

Abo Zour moved to Bozeman, Montana at the start of 2020 and joined Beall Street Studios where she shared a common space with talented ceramists who introduced her to the ceramic world. She now maintains a workspace at Foundation Studios in Asheville, NC. Before moving to the U.S., she was primarily a painter, where her love for oils kept her focused on the canvas. But now she is very attracted to working in sculpture. She has always dreamed of turning her paintings into sculptures, so she can touch and inspect them from all sides. Clay allows for possibilities she can imagine in shape, size and color. Abo Zour's paintings are intense, and often political. Whereas her sculptures remind her of childish pursuits. The mud is material for play and discovery - where lightness and form allow her to experiment with simple lines and distorted shapes.