The sculptures of Lebanese French artist and designer Najla El Zein are deceptively simple. Ranging in size from small glass objects to monumental ceramic and stone installations, they are the product of El Zein’s extensive research into pushing the possibilities of whichever medium she chooses to work in. Solid and weighty materials take on sensuous curves, becoming soft and malleable, inviting you to reach out and interact with them—as with public commissions in Qatar, and work collected by the Dallas Museum of Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

Farah-Silvana Kanaan: You work between Amsterdam and Beirut—what are the charms and idiosyncrasies of each city?

Najla El Zein: Growing up in Paris, then living for 10 years in Beirut, and now being in Amsterdam, I’ve always felt a sense of in-betweenness, of being in transit and perpetually rediscovering parts of me. As a result, the differentiation between cities has less of an impact, but there is a certain richness to Beirut—a chaotic energy and sense of embracing the present moment. Amsterdam holds this enchanting glow in its light, especially in late afternoons or after a rainy day when the light floods my studio, which I’ve started to become more and more attuned to.

FSK: Some artists in the Levant say they feel stuck in their hopelessness, others process their grief through their art. What do you see as the function of art in these times of turmoil?