Faiza Barise
https://fab2787.wixsite.com/mysite // tw: @b_fayfay
As an artist, I have always been fascinated by the art world. My love for the medium began during a school trip to the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC. Through observing works from Mary Cassatt to Nam Jun Paik, I was entranced by how art can be approached in distinctive ways. From there, I found my passion through a variety of media such as painting, visual design, and photography. My exploration of each medium correlates with how I perceive art as “an escape from the mundane and a portal into the surreal mind.” Through this, art becomes a portal into imagination, a world of artistic ambition, and a road towards creative possibilities.
In my work, narrative and themes are central to my creative process. With this in mind, I devise a strategy that incorporates different topics of discussion from nature to identity, resulting in an amalgamation that serves as a basis. Afterwards, I utilize a distinctive palette that corresponds with the tone of the work be it somber (black and white) or jovial (vibrant) in manner. Upon determining these core elements, I select what type of medium to utilize and build them through visualization. Taking feedback into account, I work towards fixing common mistakes in my work and improve them as I progress towards completion. Through this approach, I succeed in capturing the subject matter and channel them into the forefront of the composition.
My two-part portrait series, Looking at my Parents, depicts my mother and father in their youth. I remember going through photo albums that chronicled different events in their lives. From adolescence to adulthood to marriage, I had been fascinated by what my parents were like before I was born. In approaching this project, I pondered on how I should capture their youth on canvas and how both compositions reflected them. In doing so, I would have to consider these ideas and channel them into my work.
For the first portrait, I wanted to capture my mother in her early twenties. through warm colors and patterns that resonated with her welcoming nature. I played with patterns in spaces from fabrics to jewelry in how it spoke to her heritage. I wanted to retain key aspects of detail, notably in balancing lights and darks throughout the process. By using acrylic on canvas, I was able to relay these features in keeping true to her personality.
As for the second portrait, I wanted to portray my father in his mid-twenties. However, the palette I chose was meant to be cooler in mixing greens and blues. I wanted to retain my father’s stern yet solemn personality through applying rounded patterns that juxtaposed from that of the first. I have been keen on showing two sides of the same coin in this series and this portrait was no exception. Through utilizing contrast, I was able to get enough detail for my father within the composition.
