The Portal

Zato (Zahra Fakih)

Zato’s creative path began six years ago in Sierra Leone, not in art school (there are none), but through the silent search for healing. Art offered her solace amidst hardship, a way to process pain and reclaim her identity. What started as survival soon bloomed into purpose, guiding her to color, form, and creative expression. Rooted in both African and Lebanese heritage, her work weaves ancestral narratives, cultural resilience, and vibrant symbolism. Fully self-taught, she’s already participated in 14 exhibitions in Sierra Leone and one in Dubai, asserting her voice across local and international stages. More than a visual artist, Zato is a catalyst for transformation. As a certified therapeutic arts life coach and educator, she channels her healing journey into workshops that nurture emotional intelligence and self-worth, especially among marginalized youth and juveniles. Through art, she offers both a mirror and a seed for tools to foster healing and growth. Her creative process is intuitive and spiritual, centered on a variety of media, whether acrylic markers, or digital and all to produce flowing patterns that move as much as they are felt. Each artistic act is an emotional imprint, each piece an alchemy of chaos transformed into clarity. Her four pillars - cultural expression, women’s empowerment, healing, and community service - are more than themes; they are embodied values guiding her work in studio, classroom, and community. Zato believes: “Every child is an artist... we raise thinkers, dreamers, and problem-solvers.” Through art, she’s nurturing not only creativity, but resilience, hope, and a better future for Sierra Leone and beyond.