Juliana Seraphim, born in Jaffa in 1934, resided there until the 1948 Palestinian exodus which compelled her family to seek refuge in Lebanon. Deeply affected by this event, she began working for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Beirut from 1952 for several years. It was during this period that she embarked on her artistic journey.
Under the guidance of Lebanese painter Jean Khalifé, Seraphim started her training as a painter and exhibited her artwork in Khalifé's studio. She then enrolled at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts, nurturing her artistic skills. In 1959, she spent a year in Florence, Italy, further enriching her artistic knowledge before moving to Madrid, Spain, in 1960 to study at the prestigious Royal Academy of San Fernando on a scholarship.
Her talent began to garner recognition, leading her to exhibit extensively in Beirut and abroad. She represented Lebanon in three international biennials: Alexandria (1962), Paris (1963, 1969), and São Paulo (1965), showcasing her distinctive artistic expression on the global stage.
During and after the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), Seraphim divided her time between Paris and Beirut, navigating the challenges of the period. Her unwavering dedication to her craft persisted until her death in 2005.
Today, her work features in important private and public collections including institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of New York, the Museum of the city of Viareggio, the Musée du surréalisme in Paris, the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts in Amman, the Sursock Museum in Beirut, and the Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation in Beirut.
