How Nadine Khalifa Makes Art Feel Alive with Color, Texture, and Joy - Grail Middle East

How Nadine Khalifa Makes Art Feel Alive with Color, Texture, and Joy

January 20, 2026
Nada Armanious
Lifestyle

Nadine Khalifa’s pieces exude joy. It’s the type of whimsy you didn’t know you needed. Playful and instinctive her work is driven by a love for creating art that simply makes people smile. It feels as if the pieces are not overthought or follow rules, they’re just a reflection of free, bold, emotion-centered drive. She lets color and texture guide every piece.

Her canvases are filled with blissful characters, playful animals, quirky symbols, and her unmistakable signature bird, a recurring element that has become her visual stamp. By experimenting with different materials, Nadine builds rich, layered textures that add depth and a tactile, feel-good energy to her worlds.

In this interview, she shares what inspires her joyful approach, how she turns stories into art, and how her creative journey continues to evolve as she experiments with new ideas and forms.

Photo provided by Nadine Khalifa Designs

Your paintings radiate happiness and charm. What do you think draws you most to creating such joyful, lighthearted works?

I’m a happy and playful person, and my art reflects that. My paintings are vibrant, full of life, and carry the same positive energy I live with.

You’ve been painting since you were two years old without any formal training. How has that freedom shaped your artistic process?

Growing up painting with no rules helped me think freely and experiment. Studying art and design later gave me the basics, but I still like to go out of the box and cross the rules.

Photo provided by Nadine Khalifa Designs

What inspired you to start experimenting with materials like sand and layered paint?

I love creating texture. Using different materials makes the artwork more dynamic and interesting to look at.

You’ve described your style as “random but chic.” Can you tell us more about what that means to you?

My art is playful and random, but I always make sure it still feels chic and fits nicely into a home’s interior.

Photo provided by Nadine Khalifa Designs

What usually inspires you to start creating?

Positive quotes and playful moments I notice in real life inspire me. I love turning simple uplifting ideas into paintings.

Photo provided by Nadine Khalifa Designs

You often tailor your paintings for clients, even depicting them in your art. What’s that process like, balancing your own imagination with someone else’s story?

I mix the client’s story with my own style. I listen to them, then translate their energy into my colors and imagination.

Photo provided by Nadine Khalifa Designs

As a product design student, do you see your academic background influencing the way you think about art, form, and function?

Yes, product design helped me think about how art interacts with space. I consider form, balance, and how a piece fits in a room.

Photo provided by Nadine Khalifa Designs

Many of your pieces feature women, often blissful and self-assured. What do these “ladies,” as you call them, represent to you personally?

Women to me represent freedom, confidence, and power. That’s the energy I try to capture in my “ladies.”

Photo provided by Nadine Khalifa Designs

Is there anything new you’re hoping to explore or play around with in your upcoming work?

I want to expand my art into home décor, sculptures, tables, and accessories that bring my style into everyday spaces.