Interview
Saloua Sarhiri
Saloua travels through her paintings, where colors and shapes feed her imagination. She’s impassioned by the suppleness of this visual form of communication, by the textured and colored surfaces, by her works, some more expressive than others. Her brushes dance with the music, and in the atmosphere surrounding.
Music guides her movements and her imagination dictates the colors. She enjoys playing with the contrast between matte and brilliant, as well as with the transparency of colors.
Saloua’s works are made with acrylic, oil, varnish and sometimes enhancing pigments. Joy and beauty inhabit her paintings in all seasons. She welcomes everyone to her happy world.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“After graduating as a computer engineer, I worked for an international company, picking up my paintbrush a few years later after the birth of my first daughter. After the birth of my second daughter, this desire to paint became more pronounced thanks to participating in exhibitions.
I start my painting day with a moment of calm concentration which can sometimes last a few hours. When the desire settles, I can start. I then listen to some music, sometimes very quiet and at other times rhythmic—the difference is strongly visible in my paintings.
I like to play with my colors—their transparency, their opacity, and the shine often comes to crown the canvas. In Europe, I have exhibited in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Monaco. Most recently, I exhibited my work in New York.”
What inspires you?
“I’m inspired mainly by moments in everyday life. Often the smallest details inspire me: a ray of sun, a star in the sky, a tree during a walk, and sometimes music.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“The only message my works convey is serenity, transparency, and tranquility. When people stop in front of my paintings and dive into my universe, they discover depth.”
“The music guides my line, and my imagination dictates the colors.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work is the reflection of a moment of deep tranquility. When I’m in front of a blank canvas in a dreamy state of mind, the touch of the linen transports me and I travel through my imagination. Then comes the pigment, the painting and the music, and the play of colors begins—transparency, opacity, light, thickness, texture, and more as the golden touch crowns my work for the final finish. My rectangle signature in the bottom right is often part of the canvas.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I love the art of Pierre Soulages and the work of Jackson Pollock. It’s difficult for me to find the similarity to their works. When I look at each of my works, I plunge back into the same moment of creation, and during the creation I’m alone, in front of my blank canvas. Then the dance of the brushes begins without control or schema.”
What is your creative process like?
“I take a journey through my canvases, and the colors and shapes nourish my imagination. Passionate about the suppleness of this visual form of communication, textured and colorful surfaces, my brushes are lulled by the music I’m listen to and the atmosphere surrounding me in the studio.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“With a lot of kindness, the artist often brings a future vision. Sometimes, there can be a message for the society in the work of some artists, and it’s important for them to display and transmit it. The artist is happy when the audience feel their hearts touched by the work.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I’ve had the joy of exhibiting my work in Monaco, Knokke, Brussels, Kortrijk, Waterloo, Liège, Paris, Luxembourg, and Stockholm.”
