Helen Zughaib was born in Beirut, Lebanon. She lived mostly in the Middle East and Europe before coming to the United States to study art. She received her BFA from the College of Visual and Performing Arts of Syracuse University.

She paints using gouache and ink on board, transforming her subjects into a combination of colors and patterns, creating a nontraditional sense of space and perspective. Helen has exhibited in New York and the Washington metro area. Her paintings have made their way to over 80 private and public collections, including the White House; the World Bank; the Library of Congress; the US Consulate General, Vancouver, Canada; the American Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, and the Arab American National Museum in Detroit, Michigan.

Most recently, Helen served as United States Cultural Envoy to the West Bank, Palestine. Zughaib feels that her background in the Middle East allows her to approach the experiences she has in America, in a unique way, remaining an observer of both the Arab and American cultures.

She believes that the Arts are one of the most important tools we have to help shape and foster dialogue and positive ideas about the Middle East. Hopefulness, healing and spirituality, are all themes that are woven into her work.

See more of Helen's work at http://www.hzughaib.com