bio
I am an interdisciplinary artist creating images inspired by my experience in the world. My paintings are a metaphor for a specific moment in time of our natural landscape. Through my reflection and my experience, I begin to map and explore the self in relation to the human condition; The idea of societal morals, prejudices, and our aggression toward each other and how they affect us. The challenge is to explore these ideas through my chosen medium and work through a series of the same subject matter. Sometimes my work begins with a particular idea or energy. But through my interaction with the process, it materializes in an unexpected and exciting place.
My multicultural background, activism, and many travels inspire my art. As an interdisciplinary artist my work can be abstract, representational, or three-dimensional. Using the mediums of watercolor, acrylic, and oil, I create images. My process uses the language of art, the juxtaposition of color, and lines, to convey a specific moment in time. Archival symbols, collages, found objects, and various mixed media help me explore the current political and social climate and how it impacts us. I often paint with energy, using visible marks and materials on the canvas, scraping, and adding thick layers of paint to create texture and depth, allowing the paintings to evoke emotions and tell stories.
I believe that art can catalyze change and a different way of seeing our complicated world - questioning and offering an alternative to the status quo for the viewer.
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Samira obtained a BA in Philosophy & History from Carnegie-Mellon University. Her artistic practice further developed after she obtained her BFA in History & Philosophy, 1976. Inspired by the key role art has played throughout history, she immersed herself in actively painting. She furthered her education with a BFA from Carnegie- Mellon University in Fine Arts ,1980-82. She studied painting with Phillip Malicoat in Provincetown Massachusetts, and she has taken many workshops and classes to expand her skills. She is currently a member of Pittsburgh Society of Artists, Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh Watercolor Society. Samira’s work has been exhibited in many shows in Pittsburgh and over time including the AAP 106th Annual and The Mine Factory, Old Brewery, Three Rivers Arts Festival Juried Show. Her work is owned by people from many states as well as overseas. She has also had several solo exhibitions, including one at Nantucket and one at the Spinning Plate Gallery.
Samira Shaheen can be reached at sgirlbear@gmail.com
Her work can also be viewed on Instagram and the Pittsburgh Artist Registry.
Samira’s work can be viewed by appointment at her Studio:
Radiant Hall Susquehanna Studio
7800 Susquehanna St
Pittsburgh, PA 15208