The Introspective Artist: Fariea Sultana

One of the earliest influences in sparking my interest in art was my mother, who introduced me to art before alphabets. As a self-taught artist, I love to create things differently, without any rules or restrictions. Before I realised it, I had committed myself to becoming an artist, with years and years of dedication ahead of me.

I have always believed in the power of art as a form of expression. Even though it was my passion, I walked away from art when I was 11. It almost took me 5 years to revisit my first love. 5 years of doing other things that never helped me to express myself in the same way. As an artist, I always try to find the best of both worlds by balancing traditional and contemporary art. So, when I studied Vincent Van Gogh’s brushstrokes, I became intimately involved and ended up recreating “Sunflowers”, followed by “Almond Blossoms”, and then “The Starry Night”.

Every piece of art I create will not be perfect, every idea I have will not translate to canvas the way I want, and not everyone will share the same thoughts about my work. However, it’s all part of being an artist. I would rather use my personal experiences and surroundings as inspiration and to portray the essence of what I experience.

This pandemic is striking mercilessly and the fear of an uncertain future is settling into our nerves every day. Nowadays, I try to create some comfort through different types of art by portraying my emotions, rather than just dwell on the darkness. Although I’m scared, I still have faith that we’ll make it through.