Yasmin Hayat graduated in painting from Central Saint Martins (University of Arts London) before specialising and in the arts of the Middle East at the Prince's Foundation School of Traditional Arts. Inspired by her Syrian heritage, Yasmin has developed a language of painting which is derived from an old Arabic style and incorporates contemporary Western and Indo-Persian techniques. Her work is a considered blend of Eastern and Western methodology, bringing together two distinct traditions and uniting them in order to create paintings which speak to the imagination. In 2018, Yasmin was awarded the Kairos prize by His Royal Highness, Prince Charles and Professor Keith Critchlow for her paintings which preserve and celebrate traditional art practices and techniques.
Yasmin experiments with pigments which she hand makes from minerals, plants and earths. These tactile and luminous colours, which are consciously selected due to their relation to the painted subject, result in a dimensional finish which transforms, moves and reflects, just like the stories depicted. Yasmin sources the raw materials from around the world and meticulously refines and processes these ingredients to craft an individualised palette, which is completely unique to each painting she makes.
When not in her studio, Yasmin Hayat can be found at the Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts. She has lead workshops and masterclasses at prestigious institutions worldwide including the Victoria & Albert Museum, the British Museum, the Watts Gallery and at the Al Burda Festival in Abu Dhabi. Her work has been featured in various publications globally and has been acquired by numerous, international private collections across the world, her paintings can be found in: Hong Kong, Malaysia, New York, Washington, Ontario, Dubai, England and across Europe.