Etel Adnan
Meet an artist in love with words and curious about the world around her to explore self-belief and self-expression
Artist and writer Etel Adnan was raised in a world full of languages. Born in Lebanon in 1925, Etel's mother spoke Greek while her Syrian father spoke Arabic. As it's hard to be married to someone if you don't understand what they're saying, her parents spoke Turkish to each other at home. Young Etel also learned to speak French in school. So from day one her brain must have been very busy with so many sounds and words spinning around her.
As a child Etel turned her curiosity to the world around her. She liked to play with her dog, explore the flowers in her garden and find beauty in everyday things from the shape of an egg to the pattern of a Persian rug - or the gentle sloping of Arabic text.
She spent many afternoons copying lines from her father's Arabic books at the kitchen table. It's no wonder that Etel loved words She wrote her first poem when she was 20 - a love story between the sun and the sea. Soon after she moved to Paris and then to the United States to study and to write.
In America Etel became a teacher at a university. She taught different ways to think about and look at art. One day her friend Anne asked her why she wasn't a painter, considering she loved art enough to talk about it all day with her students? Etel's first thought was "But my mother said that I was too clumsy" Her friend Anne replied: "And you believed her?"
After this, Etel began painting every spare moment she could find. Instead of using a brush, she created her pictures with a palette knife She covered canvases in joyful blocky shapes, that might make you think of mountains, skies, water and Etel's childhood friend from Beirut - the beating sun.
She also created work with tapestry, ceramics and paper, and she eventually started combining her love of words with her love of images. Etel started making folding paper books, which she covered in watercolor paint and the calligraphy of her homeland. She called these works her 'leporellos'
Etel has now been painting for over 50 years and writing for over 70. She once said "Do what your inner soul tells you to do regardless of any money or success it will bring" Imagine how different her life would have been if Etel was afraid to listen to the call of her inner soul. Can you think of an art form you've always wanted to try but were nervous you might be no good at? Give it a go! You'll probably enjoy it and you might end up surprising someone in your family.
About the video
Encourage your students to respond to the video in their own ways – perhaps by making notes, doodles or drawings, or through gestures and sounds.
Discover the life of artist Etel Adnan through this bright, colourful animation.
"Do what your inner soul tells you to do"
Etel Adnan
Adnan created art for over 50 years and wrote poems for more than 70 years. She made paintings, tapestries, ceramics and a special kind of artwork called ‘leporellos’ that combined words and images. Her materials included paint, fabric, clay, wool, ink and film.
Discuss
Your students' ideas and experiences are the best starting point for any discussion. Using the prompts below, support meaningful and creative discussions in the classroom about the video’s key themes. Discover how Etel Adnan’s practice can inspire your students to learn with art.
Self-belief
Etel Adnan’s story shows how what people say to us about ourselves can have a huge influence on what we choose to do in life. The video asks us to imagine how different Adnan’s life would have been if she had been afraid to listen to her ‘inner soul’.
Prompts
- Is there something you have always wanted to try but were nervous you might not be good at? How do you think you would feel if you gave it a go?
- What are some of the ‘inner soul’ interests you have that others might not know about? How could you share these with the people you care about?
- Who do you think would be most surprised if you took up one of your ‘inner soul’ interests, and why? Who inspires you to believe in yourself? This could be someone in your life, a role model you look up to – even a fictional character!
Philosophy and Curiosity
Adnan was inspired by the world around her. She made artworks to explore her curiosity about the sun, the sea and mountains. She was also interested in philosophy and in the many different ways there are to think and talk about art and life
Prompts
- Do you think making art is important? Why, or why not?
- What is art for? What do you think art should do in the world?
- If you made an artwork about something you are curious about, how would you want people to experience it? What would you want them to think about, and why?
Words and Images
Adnan grew up surrounded by many different languages including Greek, Arabic, Turkish and French. She began her career as a writer and would later combine words and images in her artworks – often into a special kind of folded book called a ‘leporello’
Prompts
- What different languages have you grown up around? Picture the letters or words of those languages in your mind – what shapes can you make?
- Why do you think an artist might choose to use both words and images in the same artwork?
- If you were to make a book of your own, what would it be about? Which words and images would you include, and why? What happens when you bring the words and images together?
How to use Artist Stories
Introduce art and artists into your classroom with Artist Stories resources. The resources combine engaging videos and thoughtful discussion points to encourage confidence, self-expression and critical thinking. Art is a powerful tool for discussing the big ideas that impact young people's lives today.
- Explore the video:
- Read About the video to introduce the artist to your students.
- Project the video or watch it in smaller groups.
- Each video is between 3–10 minutes.
- Transcripts are included where available.
2. Discuss the video:
- Select discussion prompts from the list to frame your conversation.
- Use a mix of individual reflection, pair work and group discussion.
- Use one set of prompts to explore a theme in depth or shape your discussion across different themes.
- Discussion prompts can also be used in a Q&A format.
