A Franco-Lebanese artist born in Beirut, Sonya Tanios left her native Lebanon in 2001. From an early age she felt the need to express herself through drawing. At the age of 9 she discovered colour, thanks to a box of watercolours given to her by her uncle, a writer. Sonya was then immersed in an artistic environment, as creation was a way of life in her family. Her sister Rytta, a fashion designer, and her mother Dorothée, a dressmaker, introduced her 5 children to design, texture and the blending of materials.

She passed the entrance exam to the Tripoli School of Fine Arts (Lebanon), where, for four years, she studied various techniques (oil, gouache, charcoal and modelling). Today Sonya Tanios lives in the Drôme, where she shares her passion for art and her know-how. From 2017 to 2020, she set up a studio in the town of Crest, where she runs live model classes, among other things. In November 2021, she moved to the listed village of Mirmande, in Drôme provençale. This inspiring village now accompanies her new creations.

Sonya Tanios nourishes her art with her life. The artist carries within her the landscapes and atmospheres of the Mediterranean, and the narrow streets and terraces of Beirut come alive under her brush, as do her gentle faces with their nostalgic glances. On the walls of her studio, large-format canvases are painted in oil mixed with marble powder and coloured pigments.

Ceramics, busts, terracotta jars, lead pencil drawings — these are all vehicles for artistic expression, and all bear witness to the artist's eclecticism, inviting us to meet her endearing personality.

Tripoli School of Fine Arts (Lebanon).