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Artist StatementShirene Soleiman
00:00 / 01:07
Shirene Soleiman
Be Bold, 2018
Acrylic on Canvas
18” x 24”
$200
Back when I was drawing the charcoal version of this face, I kept thinking about how open and fiercely expressive the woman looked. I was raised with the notion that it’s good for a woman to always be polite and to hide certain parts of herself, whether it be her sexuality, confidence or, quite simply, her opinions. Because of this, and my hyper awareness of all the times people have called me “sweet” and “innocent,” I find it challenging to this day to break out of the expectations in even subtle ways. But, as I was translating the charcoal portrait into this acrylic one, I decided I was going to bring out all the admirable qualities of this particular woman. I wanted to free her from the barriers.
BIOGRAPHY
Hi, I’m Shirene (sher-een), born and raised in the Seattle area by the hands of two lovely Iranian humans. I often describe myself as a restless hummingbird due to my intense energy, which I put to use while painting, illustrating and writing. Through my work, I explore and reflect on topics like: the tension between my American identity and Iranian identity, my relationship with anxiety, the quest to root myself in the present moment and how incredibly healing Mother Nature can be. When I’m not glued to my art, I’m practicing yoga, reading historical non-fiction and listening to music by Queen.
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