Today we’d like to introduce you to Ania Moussawel.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ania. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a first-generation American to Lebanese and Cuban parents, born and raised in Miami, FL. Growing up, I naturally gravitated towards art as I played whether it be drawing, painting, or taking pictures with the neon pink camera I was gifted in the 80s. After high school, I decided to pursue a degree in fine art. During that time, my father had passed away suddenly, so photography also became my way of coping. I completed my bachelor’s degree in photography at Barry University in Miami Shores and my master’s degree in photo, video, and related media at the School of Visual Arts in New York then started teaching fine art photography.
Has it been a smooth road?
It was a smooth road in the sense that I knew what I wanted—I wanted to make art and teach. Being an artist is never really easy, but that’s part of the deal. Figuring out the right balance between family, teaching, and art is a constant. Sometimes it’s a challenge to find time, even if it’s in bits and pieces to work on my art; sometimes I work from the classroom. Soon after graduating from SVA, I was accepted to a studio residency at Art Center/South Florida, now Oolite Arts, which really helped me establish my art practice post graduate school. My husband, who I met before starting my master’s degree, is also a photographer and creative, so he completely gets it. It really helps to have support from the people in your life.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a fine art photographer and educator. Almost from the beginning, my photography has been about identity in some way. It has taken the form of portraits, self-portraits, and video work. In recent years, my work has explored themes of family, memory and loss, in the attempt to find ties to my family’s fading vernacular. The passage of time and the cyclical nature of life are important themes throughout my photographs and video work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aniamoussawel.com
- Email: [email protected]
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