Fawzan Barrage, Toronto
Member Since April 2007
Artist Statement Though not formally trained in fine arts (“aside from some classes in college”), Fawzan has been painting and drawing since childhood. Growing up with a strong artistic presence in his life (his older brother Fadi, a well-know and prolific abstract painter, encouraged his little brother to explore art at a very young age), Fawzan fondly remembers: “I’ve had a watercolor box and a brush to play with as far back as I can remember - my brother's yearly birthday gift”.
His sketches and paintings span a wide variety of representations, from colorful still lifes to landscapes and portraits. One common thread in Fawzan’s artwork is the vibrant use of light, whether it’s reflected in the bright images and colors of cherished places, or in the comforting yet fresh closeness of ordinary, familiar objects.
When pressed to pinpoint his favourite subjects, Fawzan chided this writer by saying:“People always want to peg artists by the “subjects” that they paint. It’s like pegging an actor as a “character actor”. It ends up limiting both the artist and the actor and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I have no favourite subject per se and I enjoy painting what appeals to me at any given time. It could be a pose that a cat is in, or a vista, a still life that expresses a mood or a moment that I have enjoyed, or a figure study. What I am looking for is shape, colour and light. When I learned to see in those terms instead of subjects, objects and themes, I found a sense of freedom that I didn’t have before.” He then adds: “But I do dislike floral art.”
Although he bristles at any kind of label, Fawzan’s artwork is very much of an impressionistic nature, especially in the emotional use of light in his work.
Watercolour is this artist’s chosen medium – one that serves him well in his favourite exercise, plein-air sketching. He also enjoys working in pen and ink, but prefers the water-soluble kind.
On his method of working, he explains: “To allow your talent to express itself without limitation or hesitation, you have to master the language – the practice and knowledge you get from doing is a major part of success as an artist. I make it a habit to paint or draw everyday without fail”. And that makes Fawzan’s artwork as exciting for us to view as it is for him to create.
Fawzan lives, works, paints and blogs in Ontario, Canada.
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