Painter Suzanne Farman was born in Iraq and now lives in Canada. Growing up in Iraq, Farman looked to the nation’s indigenous art culture for inspiration. Her father recognized the young, budding artist’s interest in this five-thousand-year-old culture, and began taking her to exhibitions and galleries. Flash forward to today, and Farman’s vibrant, abstract paintings still draw influence from ancient Iraqi artistic heritage as well as the trailblazing work of contemporary Iraqi artists. She attended the Alberta College of Art and Design, and she evolves her techniques each and every day based on her technical training and various sources of inspiration.

The message of Farman’s work is that of connection. She is an avid hiker, carrying out careful observations of the outdoors that she then infuses into her paintings. Farman is able to gracefully convey the idea that beauty exists even in the smallest details of the world around us, as her keen eye for the artistic was honed at a very young age. She takes notes on the structures, shapes, patterns, and textures she sees on her beloved hikes, and upon her return analyzes these studies to form her calculated compositions. For Farman, beauty is the illumination of our perception of the world. Her paintings are her way of sharing her own perception of the world with us, allowing us to experience the multitude of inspirations that guide her artistic process. Her paintings ultimately evoke a deep and universal feeling of serenity and comfort, while also connecting us to Farman’s personal experiences and the things she loves.