Today we’d like to introduce you to Sahba Shere.
Hi Sahba, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada. It was a great place to grow up – safe, nurturing, friendly and culturally diverse. Looking back, I absolutely loved it. However, when people ask where I’m from, I hesitate. I hesitate because I see myself as more than where I was born and grew up. I am connected to so much more – I see myself instead as a woman of the world.
“A woman of the world from Winnipeg,” you may ask, “how can that be?” My parents immigrated to Canada from India. My father was educated in mathematics and engineering at the University of London; he became a university math professor, published five books and over 60 articles on international affairs. My mother practiced as an accomplished musician, a prolific visual artist, and a renowned poet publishes books on her art and poetry. I’m a product of a very left-right brain family. We’d visit my large extended family annually in India. My first languages are Urdu and Hindi. My cultural heritage is, and always has been, ever-present in my daily life – intertwining easily with Canadian culture and yet with many contrasts. It provided a rich and nourishing balance. I recognize and appreciate that we had the luxury of travel – with frequent visits to relatives in London, Pakistan, Nepal, New York, and Toronto. After university, I immigrated to the U.S. and subsequently lived in California, Paris, and India. So, when asked, “where I’m from”, the answer is never as simple as the inquirer may have assumed.
Beyond geographical specificities, I’m also from a home rich in culture, art, books, and music. I am very grateful for being exposed to a variety of cultures and perspectives early in life and fortunate to have continued my exploration in adulthood through travel and residencies on three continents. These explorations, combined with my mediation practice, helped me to develop a unique creative style and a singular aspiration; I am determined to make my mark upon the world by creating work that inspires others.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I am the very proud mother of two fine young men. I dedicated years of my life to their nurture and care. By necessity (both cultural and practical), art became secondary to my family and domestic obligations. As the boys matured and became more independent, I was able to begin restarting my career. After years of constantly moving, restarting was complicated – always having to build a new network of artists and affiliates in each new city, country, and continent. Since establishing my permanent residence in Laguna Beach and Palo Alto 15 years ago, I have e finally had the time to sink roots in California and focus on creating art.
In retrospect, I would not change a thing. The challenges of motherhood, moving across the country and around the world, and restarting my practice each time, has made me stronger, more resilient, and cultivated a creative process all the richer, more satisfying, and with a deeper connection to my inner self.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My artistic practice started in my mid-teens, creating realistic and lifelike portraits of my subjects. The drawings were characterized by a strong sense of realism with a focus on capturing the essence of the subject in a single image. I soon received validation (and awards) for my work. I was encouraged to continue to develop my skill and expand my artistic expression.
As my art practice progressed, I began to move away from the traditional portrait/realism style toward a more abstract expression. This shift was marked by a focus on the use of color and texture to create a more ethereal and evocative atmosphere. As my practice of meditation grew, I began to explore light and shadow to create a sense of depth and movement in my monochromatic ethereal paintings. I am also experimenting with geometric shapes and patterns found in nature.
My work has become increasingly abstract and reflects a dream-like quality. I use texture and color to capture the emotions and movements observed within nature. I seek out nature in its various expressions around the world. Driven by the wanderlust cultivated in childhood, I’ve been drawn to the forests, jungles, seas, and mountains on
every continent.
My abstract work can be seen as a series of many genres. Some paintings reflect the jungles of Cambodia, Costa Rica, and South Africa through textured greens of many hues light and dark. Others are inspired by the beauty and untamed power of the seas, captivating, majestic and humbling, as expressed in my study of blue and its infinite expressions, drawn from my perceptions in Bali, the Maldives and our own Laguna Beach and California coastline. A recent exploration is veering towards pure abstraction – where I deconstruct nature, recognizing the impermanence of things. My work and approach continue to evolve. One of the many joys of being an artist relinquishing to the process of art that has yet to reveal itself – letting myself be the conduit for the self within to express what my conscious thought is as yet unaware.
What else should we know about you?
I split my time between Laguna Beach and Palo Alto. I have a solo exhibition currently in Newport Beach at Fetneh Blake Concept. I recently completed a show in Maison 10 in NYC. I have a second studio in downtown Palo Alto. I work with art consultants in LA, Manhattan, London, and the SF Bay Area. I have had installations in major office buildings in downtown SF and Manhattan and housed in private collections and in tech companies such as Google and The Playground. I have shown my work at exhibitions in LA, SF Bay Area, Manhattan, Paris, and Bangalore. I use my Palo Alto studio space to host salons where people gather to engage with notable personalities in art, culture, philanthropy, and politics. I am a social activist in my community focusing on women’s issues and the Arts. The topics I host in my studio salon events also revolve around philanthropy and have ranged from Lave Mae (local homeless services and a CNN hero) to the International Medical Corp (emergency medical services worldwide). I’ve hosted salons on the Arts from music composition to the Japanese Tea Ceremony to NPR’s Rachael Myrow. Cultural topics included “Women in Leadership” and featured two women in national leadership positions, et al. My path to becoming a creative artist was broad and included music composition and training on the violin and sitar. I have also worked in the mediums of sculpture and documentary photography. For the past decade, I’ve dedicated my life to painting representational works, abstracts and, to a lesser extent, impressionist subjects. This past year (2022) was a remarkable year filled with exhibitions, events, salons, and a unique experience in an historic artists’ residency program in Paris.
Pricing:
- $2,500 to $50,000.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sahbashere.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sahbashereart/
