Nadia Zuberi

Artist statement:

In 2005 I graduated from LIPA with a BA in Theatre and Performance Design. After working in costume I decided to retrain as an art teacher, and in the process, rediscovered my love of creating Art. These days I would describe myself as a creative Jack-of-all-trades, exploring my creative process through multiple artistic disciplines.

Work statement:

Designing and making for theatre and costume always required a certain amount of inventiveness and imagination. My artistic background has always led me to be curious about the possibilities and outcomes of various materials and techniques. I find I get bored easily only working in one way, or with only one media.

Working in costume also helped develop a love of fashion, collecting, observing small details, and art that tells a story. Over the past few years I have been creating art that reflects these interests alongside exploring themes around natural forms, repetition, documenting, and patterns.

During lockdown I began experimenting with using collage and found images to create surreal imagery from which to paint from. In particular I was thinking about the contrast between the gift of time and freedom afforded to us by having to stay at home, juxtaposed against the uncertainty and apprehension the pandemic was causing. In this piece the girl sits surrounded by things that should bring comfort or joy (pets, plants, a beautiful view), but yet somehow everything feels slightly wrong and out of place. She is centred but is separated from the rest of the painting having been almost completely supplanted by a bleak looking forest.

This is a new process for me that I am looking forward to exploring more.

Links to websites and Instagram