Meet Aml Sultana!

“Extracting the Abstract” artist Aml Sultana

What inspires you?

I am inspired by everything ranging from people, my past experiences, and especially music. Even though there are so many different people in my life, they each serve an important purpose in life and help me grow. After deciding to seriously pursue art, I realized that everybody expresses themselves through a form of art, whether they realize it or not. I am a strong believer in experiences telling the tale of your life, so my paintings are created in a way to tell stories from my past experiences. Music is an important aspect of my life so it is attached to every piece of work I have created. When looking at my past work, I can recall what music I was listening to which also reminds me of how I was feeling at that moment. Lana Del Rey, who I discovered in the 9th grade, has been the most impactful artist for me and she is a part of almost every piece of art that I have created since high school.

“Plated Guilt” by Aml Sultana

Why are you drawn to this subject?

Before creating this collection and being introduced to abstract art, I had the wrong perception that art had to be “clean” and “perfect. I used to believe that realistic paintings were the basis of creative art and that every line and detail had to be perfect. My first submission piece for this exhibit was out of my comfort zone because there was no plan and it was all emotion, which is what my past work was about. I enjoy creating abstract art because I had the opportunity to explore a new way of expression and could use so many different skills and techniques to create texture. Abstract art unlocked a different artistic skill that I did not know that I had and I will definitely will be exercising it in the future.

What is your collection about?

My collection focuses on my favourite pieces of work that I have created so far. I was finally able to step out of my comfort zone during the creative process, as I used different materials and an even bigger canvas. This collection tells my story of this past summer and all of the amazing opportunities that I had. I was able to discover new skills, such as murals, and experienced a new feeling of motivation and confidence towards my creative artwork. I am excited to be a part of an exhibition in a gallery that I have admired for a long time. It’s about being sure that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

“Auriferous” by Aml Sultana

Meet Maureen Doody!

“Never Enough” by Maureen Doody

How did you start out as an artist?

Art has always played an important part in my life. I’ve always been connected to it in one way or another as a professional athlete, photographer, writer, anthropologist, and business analyst. Painting has always been a natural outlet; a way to escape and speak to a nonverbal part of my existence. It was not until a cancer diagnosis in 2017, however, that I was ‘awakened’ to fully pursue my life-long passion for painting. Holistically, it provided me with a sense of clarity and purpose towards fulfillment of living my most authentic self.

How did you get into creating abstract artwork? What does abstract art mean to you?

I seek to express intangible thoughts and emotions that I do not quite have the words for. Abstract is a language of its own. It is a means to communicate on levels often not yet understood and to expand one’s perceptions beyond the five senses. Abstraction has allowed me to distill and better communicate my emotions and ideas about life, nature and our respective place within it. Abstract does not always have to make sense or dictate a clear narrative. In abstract, you can be anyone you want to be and express anything you want to. Abstract itself is the solution and a remedy; it’s therapeutic. It is a means of exploring subjective experiences as a gateway to broader human concerns. We see art in everything around us every day; but, how we see it is different based on our own personal experiences. To be able to capture that art and interpret it in my own way is what fascinates me. Abstract art requires you to have an open, inquiring mind; you must enter the painting and see where it takes you.

“The Other Side” by Maureen Doody

Is there something that you want to convey through your artwork?

I believe that art can forge the path to one’s true self-expression and nurture a mind-body-spirit connection. I hope to engage, inspire and help others find and nurture their true purpose in life through art. I too, believe in the power of art to heal. From our first lifeline the umbilical cord, as the root that grows in the ground, we are all interconnected to each other and the world around us. The release of love through one’s lifelines and its transformation into energy and mind-body-spirit are one with the earth. Life, bound with love turns into energy in nature, light, music and eventually other people; and, how fluid the boundaries really are. I hope my work is appreciated in emotional terms, serving as a key to within, and letting the beauty be in both the painting and the viewer’s mind.

Walk us through your journey of creating an art piece.

My artistic journey is one of the intrinsic personal explorations. Employing unconventional colours, compositions and tonal schema, my paintings are an authentic expression of ‘revelations of self’; and by virtue, seek to capture the transient nature of life and the essence of the human condition. As an anthropologist, my paintings reflect my connection to the world around me, where one can discern recurring themes of truth, unity of nature, healing, reinvention, resilience, and the power of “I am”.

My process is very intuitive and emotionally driven; with other art forms such as film, music, movement and photography lending inspiration. References in my work to the appreciation of lines, light, and expression reflect a synthesis of these style influences. For me the canvas is a mouthpiece; it comes from its intention. It allows me to speak with vibrant colours, bold strokes, and fine lines. It is a means to whisper my secrets, share my passion, express my anguish, and taunt your sensibilities. Entering the studio is a time of letting go: of expectations, of structure, of rules, and of my own ideas about what’s possible and what’s not...in life and art.

“Hold On” by Maureen Doody

Is there a particular artist who inspired you to become one? Whose techniques do you study, admire or aspire to follow?

My earliest and probably most significant influence in painting stems from my late father, renowned Newfoundland ceramicist William Doody. Under his guidance and mentorship, I developed and honed my skills as a painter in both oil and acrylic mediums. He bestowed in me the work ethic required to be an artist and the importance of precision and detail in my work. 

I find beauty and inspiration in a variety of artists, artwork and art forms. For me, it is about the art in whichever form in relation to the people and the universe around us. Art is often examined through the interaction of the principles and elements of art. The principles of art include movement, unity, harmony, variety, balance, contrast, proportion and pattern. The elements include texture, form, space, shape, colour, value and line. The various interactions between the elements and principles of art help artists to organize sensorially their personal stories while also giving viewers a framework

within which to receive and interpret those stories internally. The dynamic between how these formal qualities are used to create a visual and visceral experience inspires my process and understanding.

Helma af Klint is an artist that defies and challenges the boundaries of these artistic parameters, via her use of colour, form, texture, pattern, and composition, to evoke an emotional experience in the viewer.