Ibrahim Sultani's project, "Making the Lebanese Lira Worthy Again," is a series of delicate portraits of Lebanese celebrities, rendered on Lebanese coins and notes, giving them a value beyond currency.
Since he started working on the series in December 2016, Sultani has painted over 20 portraits on his unusual canvases, including vocalist Melhem Barakat, fashion designer Elie Saab and filmmaker Nadine Labaki.
Sultani's most popular portrait is of Fairouz, the "Jewel of Lebanon," painted on a LL1,000 note.
Sultani said his interest in currency began just over two years ago, when he was handed a LL500 coin, dated 1994 .
Sultani felt it would be a waste to spend the money.
Titled "Resilience vs. Greed," the sculpture depicts the lira in various denominations, bound together to form a cedar tree splattered with red paint.
An architecture student in his final year at the Lebanese American University, Sultani has to juggle art with studies.
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