Soha Zubair

“What is your favorite artwork?”

Curatorial Rationale

This exhibition reflects the theme of cityscape and the different ways to find the artistic value within. Because experiencing and living the city life is very common, the art of the different aspects of a city becomes overshadowed. Within the exhibition I have researched and reflected various components of what creates a city by exploring multiple perspectives of urban living. Through exploring these perspectives viewers will be able to gain a sense of understanding towards the value of looking at the different outlooks of living in the city. From experiencing life in the city, I hope to convey my intentions of perceiving the ways of urban living through the lens of an artist.

In order for the viewer to grasp the full context of the exhibition, I experimented with different forms of media throughout this body of work, including acrylic paint, charcoal, oil pastels and air-dry clay. Within these mediums I have curated multiple forms of artworks such as 2D artworks as well as a 3D sculpture. Through these works viewers will hopefully be able to identify multiple ideas relating to various aspects of the city by viewing them through its artistic representation.  

As the exhibition begins with California Shine, this piece portrays the natural beauty of the sunlight amongst dark clouds reflecting off of the San Francisco skyline. The simplicity behind the meaning of this piece represents the calm yet fascinating component of the value of cityscape. The element of the skyline can be seen in the charcoal piece, Foggy Day, though this work contrasts the bright and colorful depictions of California Shine. The moodiness evoked in the charcoal piece compares to the painting Train Ride as they both are able to relay a realistic aspect of cityscape in different mediums, which shows the effectiveness of the multiple usages of mediums. When connecting back to portraying reality, Crisis and Speed exhibit the element of cityscape which portray more serious undertones. Both pieces represent the value of finding art within issues such as these, and through exemplifying these works in this way viewers will be able to recognize the various perspectives that the theme of cityscape offers. As the exhibition ends with Out, the painting reflects the end of the cycle of the exhibition because it acknowledges the importance of viewing art in the city through multiple lenses. 

Soha’s Art Work

  • California Shine, 2023

    Acrylic paint on canvas
    40.64 cm x 50.8 cm

    This piece was inspired by the oil painting Californian Landscape (circa 1920) by E. Charlton Fortune. The thick and colorful brushstrokes influenced the artwork’s style of impressionism. Because of Fortune’s portrayal of a Californian landscape I wanted to depict a similar theme of a sunny day in San Francisco, California with my own style. The contrast between the dark mountains and the bright houses enhances the beauty of San Francisco sunshine through the dark and light.

  • Speed, 2023

    Oil pastel on paper
    30.48 cm x 45.72 cm

    My inspirational art piece was a photograph taken by Roger Wilkerson called Freeway Traffic at Night (1962). From this piece I wanted to incorporate the depiction of motion as well as the color scheme. I used oil pastels as my medium as this makes blending easier for the motion of the vehicles. My intention for this piece was to portray a scene of city life and how overwhelming it can be. The blur of the vehicles emphasizes the speed at which they are going.

  • Train Ride, 2023

    Acrylic paint on canvas
    20.32 cm x 30.48 cm

    My inspiration for this piece was a photograph I saw online called La Femme Rousse (2015) by Julie Peiffer that depicts the view of the people in the train from the outside, with moody contrast and lighting. I became inspired by this as my theme is cityscape and streetscape. I intended to portray a moody setting in my piece to highlight what a day in the city feels like without using words. I added orange on the exterior of the train because I was wanting contrast, though it may be brighter.

  • Crisis, 2023

    Air-dry clay with acrylic paint
    27.94 cm x 17.78 x 15.24 cm

    I was inspired by Irving Norman with works such as Slums 1 (1946) and At the Spring (1949). I wanted to portray the issue of housing in cities for this piece, therefore these artworks helped me create the basis of the project with the tall, rigid buildings. The mediums I used were air-dry clay as well as acrylic paint. By using these mediums I was able to portray the rigidness of the buildings, details such as the streetlamps and trash cans and texture of the buildings.

  • Foggy Day, 2024

    Charcoal on paper
    30.48 cm x 45.72 cm

    My inspirational artwork is House Tops (1921) by American realist painter Edward Hopper who is known for his cityscape artworks. From this artwork I wanted to incorporate the train scene in a city as well as a figure. For the medium I used charcoal in order to give the effect of a moody and foggy day in the city. By using charcoal I was able to highlight the different values from the interior of the train to the city life outside.

  • Out, 2024

    Acrylic paint on canvas
    40.64 cm x 50.8 cm

    This painting was inspired by Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks (1942) and Chop Suey (1929). My main goal for this piece was to portray light and shadow, and Hopper’s works helped curate the final results. For the medium I decided to use acrylic paint on canvas because it is easier to blend in order to portray light and shadow. The elements of value and contrast are strong within the piece and they add an effect of moodiness. The color scheme also helps strengthen the value and contrast.