Sousan
Alwan

I am an Iraqi-American artist born in Baghdad, Iraq, and based in Istanbul, Turkey. I am self-taught and work with oil and mixed-media painting and some photography. Although I am relatively new to art as a formal practice, I have always felt a call to creative work and communicate my emotions best through art. 

My artwork explores concepts of identity, femininity, and personal development. I am fascinated by how the human form, even in silhouette, can convey emotions. Through abstract figuration, I like to examine the contrast between our inner lives– our feelings, thoughts, ideas, and desires-- and our outer lives, what we present to the world. I like to juxtapose the apparent appearance of a figure within a  space with expressions and objects that lead the observer to look deeper and ask questions -- to see what we usually don't notice and to go beyond the superficial. 

I stage scenes of spectacle, often dance, as a reference to femininity and female identity, with particular attention to women’s societal roles and how womanhood is defined.  I like to play with contradictions and push the boundary between spontaneous spirit and restriction, whether it be self-imposed or from outside forces. I use the female form to find some meaning in the realization of personal potential and the development of selfhood.