Bushra Shamma

I grew up in Kuwait at a time when art was not taught in schools and there were no galleries or art museums. My awareness of visual arts started when I went to pursue higher education in London, England and was introduced to art museums.

For many years, I thought that art was something to appreciate but not to practice. When I became a math teacher in private schools in New York City, I saw that art was taught to all children - not just the talented few and decided to learn how to do it myself. I started taking drawing and painting classes at the Art Students League and at the National Academy of Design School in Manhattan. I concentrated on realistic renderings of figures and landscapes using oil as the primary medium. After gaining confidence in those areas, I started working more abstractly.

Currently, I work primarily with acrylics and mixed media. My work remains predominantly abstract, and can be at times minimalist, geometric, floral, or calligraphic. When using live models, I venture into more figurative and narrative work. Mainly prompted by my interest in exploring different techniques and motifs, I may use brushwork, palette knives, even feathers or my fingers. Forms can be created by areas of color or I may use script as an element. Ultimately, the process is my main concern.

I often start with a color or a mark and proceed one step at a time responding to what is already there: adding, erasing, creating, testing limits, making decisions, and stubbornly persevering until I reach a satisfactory resolution.

Overall, my work does not aim to make a statement but to exult in the power of the creative impulse. I believe that human evolution is depicted by our artistic output - even more so than by our technological or scientific discoveries. There are many examples where animals manage to discover ways to make their lives easier, but only humans deliberately create beauty for enjoyment and as a celebration of life.