Sunya Hassan

Ever since I was little, I’ve always been amazed by the beauty of Georgia O’Keeffe’s flower paintings. Her ability to transform something as mundane as a rose or a poppy into something extraordinary was the central inspiration behind my concentration. I decided to use oil pastels as my medium because of their rich and saturated hue, and the ease with which they can be blended.

I decided early on to present my colorful subjects against a stark black, graphic ground. By doing this. I aim to take the flower out of its natural and familiar environment and place it somewhere unexpected. The stark black grounds also heighten the contrast with the colorful blooms, causing them to stand out vibrantly and boldly. By using a large format and taking a macro view of my source material, the flowers become less recognizable and the viewer is challenged to reconsider their preconceived notions of my subject. Through the evolution of my concentration, I experimented with varying amounts of visible background. Some drawings have less negative space, creating a more crowded composition, while others have more, creating a feeling of lightness and openness. In my final few pieces, I began to experiment with multiple flowers, straying from the singular blooms of my earlier works. My work in AP Studio Art this year has taught me that men the most ordinary subject matter can become extraordinary if looked at in an original way.