Sue Turayhi
Soul Mate, photography, acrylic, and liquid acrylic, 16″ x 20″, 2019
Starry Night, photography, acrylic, and liquid acrylic, 16″ x 20″, 2019
Broken System, photography, acrylic, and liquid acrylic, 16″ x 20″, 2019
Friendship, photography, acrylic, and liquid acrylic, 16″ x 20″, 2019
The Tree of Life, photography, acrylic, and liquid acrylic, 16″ x 20″, 2019
Step to the Golden Life, photography, acrylic, and liquid acrylic, 16″ x 20″, 2019
Ocean, photography, acrylic, and liquid acrylic, 16″ x 20″, 2019
Biking through Lake Shore Drive Trail, photography, acrylic, and liquid acrylic, 16″ x 20″, 2019
Falling Leaves, photography and acrylic, 16″ x 20″, 2019
Upward, photography, acrylic, and liquid acrylic, 16″ x 20″
Note: All the images represent work from the artist’s ongoing series “Walking With My Shadows”. The artist’s idea for the series came to her in 2018; she painted all the work shown here in 2019; late that year, she also showed all the work in an exhibition.
Artist Statement
Walking with my shadow at different times of the day, I discover joy while also self-analyzing. Sunset and sunrise are the best times for this activity, for it is then that my shadow becomes unrealistic and playful. Each image I make subsequently represents my different thoughts and ideas while walking with my shadow.
As I create 10 to 12 artworks on the same subject, I watch each piece become a holistic creation, which is why I also exhibit all of them at the same time.
The title for my series “Walking With My Shadows,” images for which are shown above, suggests two aspects: the playfulness and whimsical delight we experience in discovering our shadow, as happens, for example, in childhood, and a dark, more psychological interpretation. For me, walking with my shadows means embracing my whole self, its light and dark sides. (Her series debuted at The Gallery in Lake Forest, Illinois.)
The many lines I paint in the form of spirals represent waves, the sand, time, infinity. The blue sky, water, swirls of clouds are ephemeral but also beautiful, timeless parts of our always-changing lives; the white represents sand, the ground, the things we touch.
Of course, as we know, everyone sees something unique in my paintings and finds something that speaks to them, depending on their own life experiences.
My goal in painting is to evoke the spiritual vibration that echoes in the heart of each person who views my work.
About the Artist
Born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq, Suhad (Sue) Turayhi graduated from the University of Baghdad’s Academy of Fine Art with a bachelor of arts degree in design. Following graduation, she worked at the National Museum of Iraq and, after that, at the archeological site of ancient Babylon, where she immersed herself in the study of Iraqi antiquities and history.
Sue Turayhi migrated to Chicago, Illinois, to advance her studies and in 1980 was awarded a bachelor’s degree in industrial design from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In 1987, she became a fully licensed interior designer with National Council for Interior Design Qualification Certification.
In addition to participating annually in a themed group art exhibit at The Gallery in Lake Forest Illinois, Sue Turayhi has shown solo or in other group exhibitions throughout Illinois.
Sue Turayhi is a member of the Buffalo Arts Guild League and Long Grove Arts League. In 2020, she completed an “Art & Soul Studio” residency in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, affording her solo time to paint.
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