Portfolio
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Lina Ogaily Sami, born in 1973, is the daughter of two Iraqi architects who helped pave the way to her artistic career. She grew up in Kuwait and later moved to England where she pursued her studies in art and design and graduated with a degree in interior design from Kingston University. She now lives in Dubai, UAE, where she has turned her focus to painting for the last 10 years.
Self exploration to many of us is an uncomfortable journey... it is a difficult challenge that sometimes forces us to come to terms with our inhibitions, but also introduces us to our inner strengths that lay hidden beneath the mask we use to help us get by and face the daily challenges of life.
My journey in art over the last 17 years between the West and the Middle East has rewarded me with this strength...the power of self expression... where freedom has become my most valued source of inspiration. Walls and fears have melted down to give way to hopes and dreams, and through my voyage into abstract art I have re-discovered the power of color, of texture and form... and the human figure has become my tool of communication.
The reason behind the abstract style I have adopted was not an escape from the real...but rather a plunge into the surreal. Through ambiguity, Abstract art bestows anonymity to the artist's message which forces the viewer to explore and contemplate before arriving at their own personal interpretation. Seeing this journey of discovery on the faces of people as they reflect on my paintings is the greatest reward I could wish for...and the thoughts and feelings they take with them is the reason I continue to paint.
Lina Ogaily Sami.
