Renowned artist and scholastic visionary Samia Halaby has been instrumental in shaping the course of Arab avant-garde art. Having been displaced from Palestine at the tender age of 11, Halaby found her new home in the United States. With an alma mater like Indiana University Bloomington under her belt, she ascended the academic ladder to become the maiden full-time female associate professor at the Yale University School of Art in 1973. Her art, which often manifests in vibrant geometric patterns, draws inspiration from the natural world, Islamic architectural nuances, and notably, the Constructivist and avant-garde movements that emerged from Europe and the USSR.
During the formative years of her artistic journey, the principle of utilizing solid colors to create a play of light and vibrant contrasts became her signature style—a minimalist approach fueled by Josef Albers’ 1963 influential work Interaction of Color.
A pivotal year was 1983, as Halaby began to indulge in kinetic artworks propelled by her fascination with computer technology since her Indiana University days. This fascination led Halaby to favor computer programming over traditional animation methods in crafting her dynamic artworks. Her dedication to innovative painting methods remains unwavering, with a deep belief that these techniques can revolutionize our global perception of reality.
Selected Works
Distant or Near, 1971
Metropolitan Drizzle, 2015
Branching Out, 1994
Twirling through the Vineyard, 1982
Spiral Sketch, 1972