Saba
Farhoudnia
Media:
Painting, Drawing

Studio Location:
4301 22nd Street, Long Island City, NY 11101
Room/Studio#
460
Website:
Artist Bio:
Saba’s paintings are monumental in scale and explore the challenges facing the human condition. Saba merges the art of drawing, painting, language, and verse, through brushstrokes, geometric forms, calligraphy, and gestural marks to evoke drama, pain, humor, and beauty. The forms are intended to plumb the depths of the grotesque and elevate the humor in beauty. Her work explores humanity poised on a precipice: facing an insecure present and an uncertain future. Saba Farhoudnia honed her skills by earning B.F.A. and M.A. from the University of Science and Culture in Tehran, Iran. Saba also received a second M.F.A. from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. She is an alumna of the Artist In the Marketplace fellowship program at the Bronx Museum of the Arts (New York, 2020), an awardee of the Queens Arts Fund Grant (New York, 2022) and an Artist in Residence at the Fashion Institute Technology of Art (New York, 2023). Saba’s work has been seen worldwide, including Make Room (Los Angeles, 2024), Fou Gallery (New York, 2024), Bronx Museum (New York, 2024), Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (New York, 2022), Dominico-American Cultural Institute (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 2015), Reza Abbasi Museum (Tehran, Iran, 2002) and upcoming shows at Art Market Budapest (2024) and Art021 Shanghai Art Fair (2024) Her work can also be found in such periodic
Artist Statement:
I visualize unfamiliar landscapes in my artistic practice, highlighting equality and our vulnerability to natural forces. Drawing inspiration from personal experiences of alienation and homesickness, I strive to create spaces that convey both union and fragility. Through a fusion of the language of both drawing and painting, utilizing the textures of brushstrokes, geometric forms, and gestural marks, my compositions merge figuration, grotesque elements, and (dark) comedy in a close relationship with my drawings. This gradual transition leads into abstract garden-like spaces influenced by Persian miniatures. My artworks invite viewers to engage and actively become part of the painting. Whether through the reflective surfaces of mirrors or suggestive brushstrokes, I encourage introspection and personal connection. Mirrors reflect the viewer’s reactions, fostering self-reflection and a deeper connection to the themes explored. The central theme of my work examines the human condition in our world, shedding light on the precarious nature of the present and the uncertainty of the future. I delve into the intricate relationship between individuals and society, dissecting the impact of such constructs as gender, race, culture, politics, economy, nationality, borders, and migration. Through my art, I aim to initiate meaningful conversations about the profound influence of these constructs on our lives. By intertwining figuration and abstraction.