Today, we’d like to introduce you to Shadia Sabagh.
Hi Shadia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thanks so much for having me! I was born in Barranquilla, Colombia. I lived there until I was about ten, and then I came to Miami with my family.
I remember having my notebooks filled with colorful highlighters and bubble letters since I was young. During that time I never felt the arts were something I could pursue as a career because no one in my family was in the arts and having artistic inclinations was more of a hobby in the traditional family culture I grew up in.
I gave up a scholarship to attend a private fashion and arts school – loved it. Yet, I somehow felt this pressure that it wasn’t “enough”. I was so conditioned by the ways I was taught that I still felt this constant battle between pursuing the logical thing or what my heart was calling me towards.
For a number of years after graduating college I completely ignored my artistic inclinations in order to pursue what I was taught was the right thing to do. Fast forward ten years and I realized I was convincing myself to enjoy my work instead of naturally being passionate about it. That’s when a light bulb turned on and I found myself again.
I decided I was going to do everything I always wanted to do, and that was making works of art. I started making works for myself and posting them on my social media. Friends and family immediately loved what I was doing and I started making commissions. That was when I realized this was something I was going to pursue as a career. I set up my studio which I dedicated to painting nights and weekends.
Fast forward five years and I have now participated in a number of art fairs and art shows. I still feel like I am continuing to expand and evolve things about my work.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been smooth, but it definitely has been an amazing experience. Thankfully, I went in focusing on the long term with plenty of patience involved. Because I am an experiential learner it has served as an opportunity to learn as I go about myself and my craft.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work is characterized by its minimal, detail-oriented approach and abstract forms. The preferred medium I use is a combination of acrylic paints and markers on canvas and mixed media paper. My freehand technique allows me to express myself in a fluid, spontaneous, and natural manner which results in unique and captivating pieces.
Through my abstract and minimalist style, I invite viewers to contemplate the beauty and fragility of the natural world and our place in it. My artistic endeavors reflect not only technical skills but a genuine desire to create immersive and transformative experiences through a language of color and form.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the COVID-19 crisis?
The most important lesson I learned during the pandemic was that life is too short to not do what I love with my time and energy. I feel that I had been putting off so many things I wanted to explore creatively and when I faced the uncertainty of not knowing what was going to happen I truly realized that today is all I have and I couldn’t continue to live my life putting off things I wanted to experience.
Pricing:
- $1500
- $1500
- $1500
- $1500
- $1500
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shadiasabagh.com
- Instagram: @shadiasabaghstudio
Image Credits
@sabagh.photography
