Waterfall - Oil and mixed media on canvas - 16x20

A spontenous gestural painting of a waterfall. My travels and love of water inspire my lart.

Artist BIO

Art is the process of creating images inspired by my experiences in the world. As an interdisciplinary artist, my work can be abstract, representational, or three-dimensional. Using the mediums of watercolor, acrylic, and oils and repurposed material I recreate images. The subject that I am painting and my feeling for the image or idea is my motivation to create. My process uses the language of art, the juxtaposition of color, and lines, to convey a specific moment in time. Archival symbols, collage, found objects, and various mixed media serve as a catalyst to explore the current political and social climate and how it impacts us. I paint with energy, using visible marks and materials on the canvas, scraping and adding thick layers of paint to create texture and depth, allowing the paintings to speak. My Middle Eastern background, activism, and extensive travel inspire my art. Through memories, photos, and emotional responses, I begin to map and explore the self in relation to the human condition. Societal morals, prejudices, our aggression against each other, and how it all affects us fuels my creative exploration. I believe art can be a catalyst for change and a different way of seeing. The challenge is to explore these ideas through the chosen media and work through a series of the same subject matter. Sometimes a work can begin with a particular idea or energy but through the process, it materializes in an unintended yet exciting place. Samira Shaheen obtained a BA in Philosophy & History from Carnegie Mellon University in 1976. Inspired by the key role art has played throughout history, she immersed herself in actively painting. She furthered her education by obtaining a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University in 1982. She studied painting with Phillip Malicoat in Provincetown, Massachusetts and she has taken extensive workshops and classes to expand her skills. She is currently a member of Pittsburgh Society of Artists, Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh Watercolor Society. Samira's work has been exhibited in many shows in Pittsburgh including the AAP 106th Annual and the Three Rivers Arts Festival Juried Show. She has also had several solo exhibitions, including one at Nantucket and one at the Spinning Plate Gallery. Samira's work belongs in many private collections throughout the states and overseas.