I experiment with color and form to create works inspired by and evoking meditation and introspection. For me it is an act of meditation itself to make the work and I often explore personal narratives, symbols and archetypes. Some of my pieces tell a story, with symbols like birds and femininity which allude to a memory, a dream, the past and present. Often times I incorporate text as a pictorial element that sometimes clarifies or convolutes the narrative. Abstracted color and natural forms are overlaid with text, collage material and sometimes encaustic wax. This approach to working in mixed media lends itself to creating a visceral world made with multiple layers. This layering process acts as a metaphor for the layering of the soul, the depth of the unconscious which is the well from which my imagery is extracted. When I’m not looking within, I’m often inspired by nature. I long to capture that quiet beauty found in nature, and amplify the spiritual connection it so reflects. As an Orthodox Christian born in Egypt, and as an American, two main figures influence my work; that of the American artist Georgia O’Keefe and the father of monasticism, St. Anthony the Great. I especially admire the quiet solitude which both of these figures spent their lives trying to capture. I believe Georgia O’Keefe couldn’t have brought the world’s attention to seemingly insignificant natural imagery, giving presence to bones, flowers and clouds, without her quiet solitude in the New Mexico desert. This quiet solitude can take one to a desert within, much like the desert of Egypt, where the first monastic, St. Anthony the Great set foot to venture the same internal terrain. There he discovered light and dark, deceptions and truth and struggled to hold onto the light and truth. The inner desert is full of rich unconscious imagery that I’m excited to elucidate everyday. One can easily recognize how this quest is lifelong.
VAA assumes no responsibility for the content of this artist's webpage. The artist is completely responsible for the image quality and text. This information is updated annually upon membership renewal.