This May, French-Lebanese artist Jenna Bitar is bringing Botanique to Dubai. Taking place in a villa at the One&Only The Palm in collaboration with ArtKōrero, the project marks Bitar’s debut at the resort and coincides with her unveiling as the new global fragrance face of Maison Margiela.

Rooted in hazy earth tones and botanical motifs, Botanique reframes the Arabian Gulf summer as a time of reflection. With her signature palette of dusty ambers, sun-bleached auburns, Bitar said, “Debuting Botanique feels incredibly aligned, it’s a place where refinement and nature coexist, much like the work itself,” she shares. Adding, "I hope visitors leave feeling more grounded, more attuned to subtlety, and reminded that nature doesn’t shout, it whispers.”

Born to a French mother and Lebanese father and raised in Bali, Bitar’s creative vision has always been shaped by nature. “Growing up barefoot in the wild beauty of Bali, crossing rivers, climbing trees, exploring jungles, it was an initiation into nature’s rhythm,” she says. “When we lose touch with the natural world, we lose touch with parts of our own imagination.”

The immersive villa experience, curated by ArtKōrero, is a one-night exclusive event, but a selection of works will be on display throughout the summer and available for purchase.

Bitar also reflects on her collaboration with Maison Margiela on the campaign for From The Garden. “When I first learned the top note was tomato leaves, I imagined a lush tomato garden at the foot of Mount Batur,” she explains. “I even experimented with crushed tomato leaves and volcanic ash on canvas to evoke that nostalgic scent-memory.”

A multicultural spirit infuses her practice, with her French elegance, Middle Eastern storytelling, and Balinese reverence for nature forming a deeply intuitive and layered approach to art. “I don’t follow a single tradition or school of thought,” she says. “I express through synthesis rather than separation.”

As Botanique opens its doors to guests this season, it stands not only as an exhibition, but a soulful dialogue between place, person and planet.