Visual Artist | Spain
Elizabeth Khoury
Born in 1974
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About the creator
- Elizabeth Khoury is an artist, writer, and curator based in Valencia, Spain, whose multidisciplinary practice intertwines visual poetry, storytelling, and research-driven inquiry. Her work explores the symbolic language of the body and the intersections of mythology, memory, and identity, often through fragmented, faceless figures that evoke emotional and cultural ambiguity. Khoury holds an MFA in Fine Art – Painting from the Art Institute in California and an MA in Celtic Studies from the University of Wales. Her grounding in the humanities informs a methodical approach to artmaking that begins with extensive research and writing. Drawing on comparative mythology, literature, and cultural history, she investigates themes such as grief, gender, and the reinterpretation of ancient symbols in contemporary contexts. Through iterative visual experimentation, she creates works that are both conceptually layered and emotionally resonant. In 2020, Khoury co-founded Bloom Gallery in Valencia’s Mont Olivet neighborhood with her husband, Ibrahim Khoury. As co-director, she balances her studio practice with curatorial leadership, overseeing an artist-run space dedicated to showcasing emerging and established artists from the Mediterranean and Middle East. Bloom fosters cross-cultural dialogue through exhibitions, workshops, and collaborative projects, reflecting Khoury’s belief in art as a vehicle for connection and transformation. Her dual role as artist and curator enriches both aspects of her work: her curatorial vision is shaped by her own creative explorations, while her engagement with diverse artists and audiences continually inspires her practice.
Education
Elizabeth Khoury is currently pursuing a PhD in Metaphysics at Thomas Francis University, Florida (2024–present), where her doctoral research examines philosophical and symbolic frameworks that inform her artmaking. She holds an MFA in Fine Art – Painting from the Art Institute in San Francisco (2012), with a focus on non-figurative painting, and an MA in Celtic Studies from the University of Wales, Lampeter (2010), where she graduated with distinction for her thesis on mythology and cultural memory. Her academic grounding in the humanities profoundly shapes her artistic process, which begins with deep research and writing before unfolding into visually and conceptually layered works.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
Khoury’s solo exhibitions reflect her ongoing engagement with mythology, identity, and symbolism. In 2025, she presented The Sacred & The Profane at De Souza Gallery, Cervera del Maestre, Spain, a body of work exploring the tension between the corporeal and the transcendent. Earlier, in 2013, she debuted The Book of Journeys, Part I at Color Elefante, Valencia, Spain, an intimate visual narrative rooted in themes of migration and exile. Each solo show is accompanied by extensive research and written texts, often functioning as both visual and literary projects.
Selected Group Exhibitions
Khoury has participated in numerous group exhibitions that foster dialogue between cultures and disciplines. Highlights include Juxtaposing the Random at De Souza Gallery, Valencia (2024), The Human Condition at Arneli Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon (2023), Plastic Fantastic at Bloom Gallery, Valencia (2023), and Levant/e at Bloom Gallery (2022). Through these exhibitions, she has presented works that bridge Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and European cultural contexts, using visual poetry and abstraction to engage audiences across geographies.
Residencies
Her residency experiences have been pivotal in expanding the scope of her artistic inquiry. In 2013, Khoury undertook two international residencies—at Halka Art Project in Istanbul and at Waaw in Saint-Louis, Senegal—both contributing to The Book of Journeys, Part 1: Economic Exile. These immersive programs allowed her to research displacement and cultural identity in situ, gathering narratives, imagery, and symbolic references that continue to inform her practice today.
Curatorial Projects
As co-founder and co-director of Bloom Gallery in Valencia’s Mont Olivet neighborhood, Khoury has curated exhibitions that foster cross-cultural exchange. Notable curations include El Mar (Valencia, 2022), a group exhibition exploring the sea from multiple artistic perspectives, and From the Land of St George to the Casa del Dragon (Cervera del Maestre, 2022), a collaborative project with De Souza Gallery and Arneli Gallery. Her curatorial work mirrors her own artistic concerns, bringing together artists whose practices navigate identity, place, and symbolism.
Selected Publications
Khoury’s written works often parallel and expand on her visual practice. Her 2025 publication The Sacred & The Profane serves as a companion text to her solo exhibition, comprising a series of essays on symbolism and the body. Under her previous name, Elizabeth Hefty, she authored Here Be Dragons (2024), a nonfiction exploration of lake monsters in Wisconsin, and Witches & Wolves (2019), an anthology of poetry. These publications reveal her ability to move fluidly between scholarly research, creative writing, and visual art.
Articles & Media
Beyond her books, Khoury regularly contributes essays and articles to publications such as Beirut Today and The Art Pulse, writing on topics ranging from urban legends to contemporary art criticism. Her forthcoming article on urban legends will appear in Raseef22 in Fall 2025. She has also been featured in Curatory Magazine, Issue 6 and previous issues, where her work was highlighted for its cross-cultural resonance and conceptual depth.
Professional Roles
Since 2020, Khoury has served as co-director of Bloom Gallery, the artist-run space she co-founded with her husband, Ibrahim Khoury. Situated in the vibrant Mont Olivet neighborhood of Valencia, Bloom is dedicated to showcasing emerging and established artists from the Mediterranean and Middle East. Under her leadership, the gallery has become a hub for exhibitions, workshops, and collaborative projects, embodying her belief in art as a catalyst for dialogue and transformation.
Research Interests
Khoury’s practice is deeply research-driven, informed by comparative mythology, literature, and cultural history. Her key areas of inquiry include the reinterpretation of ancient symbols in contemporary contexts, the intersections of grief, gender, and identity, and the symbolic language of the body. By integrating meticulous research with visual experimentation, she creates works that are both conceptually rich and emotionally resonant.
Masterpieces by Elizabeth Khoury
