Artist Spotlight: Sara Noori
Artist Spotlight: Sara Noori
For Sara Noori, it all started with a lime green crayon. The simple act of picking up it to color was the beginning of Sara’s lifelong pursuit of art.
Growing up, Sara spent much of their time coloring and building with LEGOs; the two activities were their happy places. Throughout their schooling, Sara signed up for as many art-related extracurriculars as possible. While attending Ballard High School, they knew they wanted to pursue art as a career. Luckily, Sara had a supportive and encouraging art teacher who helped them get into AP art classes to further their goal.
After graduating from Ballard, Sara went into UofL’s 2D Studies program. They volunteered at the Speed Art Museum and interned with the education departments of both the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Upon receiving their degree from UofL in 2010, Sara worked at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s Family Day program and as a visual arts teacher at the Old Town School of Folk Music.
Earlier in their art career, Sara focused on maximalism, painting still lifes containing objects and patterns with strong connections to family and heritage. When they first visited the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, they saw an installment by Olafur Eliasson, which was more experimental and immersive and focused on color theory. This installation left a lasting impression on Sara, as they embraced more 3D installation work, memory-based pieces, and abstract expressionism, all using mixed media.
In addition to their paintings and installations, Sara also creates designs for garments, typically denim jackets. They screen print symbolic elements, such as orchids, braided hair, chains, and barbed wire, and further embellishes the graphics with layers hand-painted designs. If you would like to see more of their studio or classroom work, check out their site at saranoori.com. You can also find more of their garment designs at foremotherstudio.com, as well as on Facebook and Instagram at @ForemotherStudio.
For Sara Noori, it all started with a lime green crayon. The simple act of picking up it to color was the beginning of Sara’s lifelong pursuit of art.
Growing up, Sara spent much of their time coloring and building with LEGOs; the two activities were their happy places. Throughout their schooling, Sara signed up for as many art-related extracurriculars as possible. While attending Ballard High School, they knew they wanted to pursue art as a career. Luckily, Sara had a supportive and encouraging art teacher who helped them get into AP art classes to further their goal.
After graduating from Ballard, Sara went into UofL’s 2D Studies program. They volunteered at the Speed Art Museum and interned with the education departments of both the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Upon receiving their degree from UofL in 2010, Sara worked at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s Family Day program and as a visual arts teacher at the Old Town School of Folk Music.
Earlier in their art career, Sara focused on maximalism, painting still lifes containing objects and patterns with strong connections to family and heritage. When they first visited the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, they saw an installment by Olafur Eliasson, which was more experimental and immersive and focused on color theory. This installation left a lasting impression on Sara, as they embraced more 3D installation work, memory-based pieces, and abstract expressionism, all using mixed media.
In addition to their paintings and installations, Sara also creates designs for garments, typically denim jackets. They screen print symbolic elements, such as orchids, braided hair, chains, and barbed wire, and further embellishes the graphics with layers hand-painted designs. If you would like to see more of their studio or classroom work, check out their site at saranoori.com. You can also find more of their garment designs at foremotherstudio.com, as well as on Facebook and Instagram at @ForemotherStudio.