Dana Hassan was born in Beirut amid
civil war and political instability. She still lives and works in a city that
she loves despite everything. Dana’s passion for art began earlier in her
childhood where she used to spend summertime with her family at a small village
in Mount Lebanon,”Ain Wa Zein”, sketching with a piece of charcoal under a
tree, some of Rodin’s sculptures. She grew that love for art throughout the
years with some encouragement from her teachers at school. Even after
completing her BA in Business Administration at the American University of
Beirut, she resumed her art studies at the Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts
(ALBA) where she completed her BA in Illustration and Comics.
Dana
works today at the intersection of illustration and storytelling. As a
communication consultant, she believes that art can be a powerful way to
communicate and engage with communities on global matters by making a strong
impact, changing perceptions, or calling for action.
In
October 2019, Dana was shortlisted among 15 international artists to help raise
awareness on the impacts of disaster and environmental changes on communities and societies. Today, her latest work, If Not Now, When? is showcased
at The Art of Resilience curated
exhibition at the World Bank's headquarter-Washington DC before taking off to
Singapore in May 2020.
Dana
was, also, a second prize winner at The International Festival of Comics
in Beirut in 2004.
Passionate about helping her community
through social work, her dedication to the Rotaract Club of Beirut –a Rotary
International youth program– has earned her several awards such as the Paul
Harris Rotary Foundation Pin (2008); the Rotaract 2450 International
Understanding Award (2008); and The Best Volunteer Award (2002).
Most importantly, Dana enjoys sharing
and teaching art to young children as she believes that art plays a fundamental
role in shaping creative minds. When away from work, she spends her time on the
yoga mat with her two little daughters. She also spares some of her evenings
and weekends to do her art – painting with acrylics on big scale canvas.
