Carla Sakkab: a hidden Lebanese talent on the catwalk

Farah Alhashim

Whoever started the rumor that models are stupid or shallow might regret it now.

While doing some research for this article, my eyes were drawn to some paintings online. The colors, textures and shapes were drawn in an amazingly beautiful way, and they told me one thing: whoever drew this is a genius.

I knew right away that this person was gifted and loves what he or she is doing.  After long hours of googling and searching, I found out that her name was Carla Sakkab, a Lebanese model, who not only models beautiful dresses, but also draws and paints beautiful paintings.

A travel and tourism graduate, this 28-year-old beauty has represented Lebanon in Malaysia and in Miss Tourism International Plus, winning Miss Tourism Lebanon in 2004.

“I’m a model and I like beauty,” she says simply. With these simple yet honest words, Sakkab describes her love of drawing, and why she draws faces in her unique and conceptual way.

Modeling and beauty complement each other, and Carla has it all. She is a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul, who is able to transfer her thoughts, expressions and feelings on to paper.

Her paintings scream “red”. Her passion for this color is portrayed strongly in every space on the painting. When asked about her love for this color, she answers: “I love colors. They make me feel that the world is so diverse and rich with all kind of colors.”

Sakkab did not study fine arts nor has she won any awards in fine arts, but she is keen to be part of that world which she loves. She is passionate about painting and its beautiful effect on people. Whether painting with oil or acrylics, she knows how to present faces - which sometimes bear sad features but are always colorful and red. “I’d love to study fine arts” she says, “because I don’t know if I’m using the right techniques.” Sakkab has no favorite artists; she loves all artists’ work without any preference. The moment she feels «ugly» or depressed, she goes to her room, grabs her brushes and starts painting. She has always painted ideal models, with their perfect faces and perfect bodies, while trying to become one of them. Despite the fact that she is a model and beautiful, sometimes she feels unattractive and unsure of certain things; that is why painting is, for her, the last resort in finding herself. Her passion for beauty has made her seek perfection in every step she makes. Without the makeup and the hairstyling, it is still possible to see immediately how naturally beautiful she is, whether on the catwalk or amongst friends.

Concerning her future ambitions, Sakkab loves the idea of studying art and hopes her hobby will develop over time. However, she refuses to plan any future goals regarding her art. Moreover, she loves her day job – modeling – which already takes up all of her time.

When asked about the reasons behind her drawings, she pauses, smiles and says: “Drawings or paintings can express a thought or an experience [that] happened to the artist… thus, each drawing represents a fact or an incident that has happened to me. That’s why I’m totally attached to every piece I have at home.”