my picture here soon ;)
Samiha Alam (b. 1997) is an artist and graphic designer and based in Baltimore, MD. Her works tends to explore hybridity and migration. With an interest in material, objects, and image-making, Samiha utilizes a diverse array of techniques and approaches in her practice.
She is currently seeking freelance oppurtunities in the areas of graphic design and art direction.
Artist Statement
A chimera can either be a monstrous villain or a mirage of desire. Made out of scraps of different cultures, violence, and hopes, the migrating colonized body and mind become a chimera of sorts. Even though they are connected with their ancestors, every new generation of chimera mutates in order to survive an ever-shifting world.
As a modern chimera myself, I use a multimedia approach to investigate land, object, and personhood in the new “global” colonial context that is situated in digital networks. Over the last decade, the boundary line that separated reality from the digital has been fading away. The final product being a world in which the digital is part of a larger reality. Virtual spaces and imagery are just as vital as physical spaces and scenes, sometimes even more so. The modern chimera, as described earlier, has to navigate this hybrid reality. They are bilingual (or at least try to be) and are seemingly always confused about where they belong due to transgenerational migration. By using digital interfaces, modern chimeras are able to find connection and resolution in their existence.
My pieces are a synthesis of my research and observations of these digital spaces. I mainly use digital mediums that are heavily used in commercial sectors for there is cold intimacy that people have developed with digital art and design that, when exploited, gives a viewer an easier entryway into my ideas and work. Absurdity, loops, text, and propaganda are staples of my visual language. I collage these elements to create sculptural installations, videos, and images to communicate my ideas on cultural chimeras.
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She is currently seeking freelance oppurtunities in the areas of graphic design and art direction.
Artist Statement
A chimera can either be a monstrous villain or a mirage of desire. Made out of scraps of different cultures, violence, and hopes, the migrating colonized body and mind become a chimera of sorts. Even though they are connected with their ancestors, every new generation of chimera mutates in order to survive an ever-shifting world.
As a modern chimera myself, I use a multimedia approach to investigate land, object, and personhood in the new “global” colonial context that is situated in digital networks. Over the last decade, the boundary line that separated reality from the digital has been fading away. The final product being a world in which the digital is part of a larger reality. Virtual spaces and imagery are just as vital as physical spaces and scenes, sometimes even more so. The modern chimera, as described earlier, has to navigate this hybrid reality. They are bilingual (or at least try to be) and are seemingly always confused about where they belong due to transgenerational migration. By using digital interfaces, modern chimeras are able to find connection and resolution in their existence.
My pieces are a synthesis of my research and observations of these digital spaces. I mainly use digital mediums that are heavily used in commercial sectors for there is cold intimacy that people have developed with digital art and design that, when exploited, gives a viewer an easier entryway into my ideas and work. Absurdity, loops, text, and propaganda are staples of my visual language. I collage these elements to create sculptural installations, videos, and images to communicate my ideas on cultural chimeras.
Education
Maryland Institute College of Art
BFA Painting w/ Graphic Design Concentration
Solo/Duo Shows
TAPROOT. Waller Gallery. Baltimore, MD. (2019)
Group Shows
Online/Offline. New Collectors Gallery. New York, NY. (2021)
Walking Show. Collisions Craft. Baltimore, MD. (2021)
Color Tomorrow (2). Montgomery Park Gallery. Baltimore, MD. (2020)
NextGen 7.0. VisArts. Baltimore, MD. (2020)
Waiting for the Sun, Waiting for You. Mt. Royal Station. Baltimore, MD. (2019)
Spotlight: South and Southeast Asia. Leake Hall. Baltimore, MD. (2018)
UNRVL 18. Open Works. Baltimore, MD. (2018)
Digital Rituals. Interaction Gallery. Rotterdam, NL. (2018)
Senior Survey. Fox Gallery 2. Baltimore, MD. (2018)
Last Minute. Fox Gallery 3. Baltimore, MD. (2018)
Post Post Self. Gateway Gallery. Baltimore, MD. (2018)
Draw It Out. Meyerhoff Gallery. Baltimore, MD. (2018)
Spectrum II. Center for Identity and Inclusion. Baltimore, MD. (2018)
Idea of the Orient. Main Ground Floor Gallery. Baltimore, MD. (2017)
Spectrum. Station North Gallery. Baltimore, MD. (2017)
Scholarships/Grants/Awards
International Collaboration Travel Award, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD. (2018)
MICA Diveristy Grant, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD. (2018)
Creative Vision Award, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD. (2015 - 2019)
National Arts Honors Society Scholarship, Alexandria, VA. (2015 - 2019)
Northern California Scholarship, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD. (2015 - 2019)
Trustee Scholarship, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD. (2015 - 2019)
California Arts Scholar, California State Summer School for the Arts, Valencia, CA. (2014)
Unravel Residency, Willem De Kooning Academy, Rotterdam, NL. (2018)
California State Summer School for the Arts, Valencia, CA. (2014)
Juliette, Rebecca. “BmoreArt’s Picks: Baltimore Art Openings, Galleries, and Event.” BmoreArt. www.bmoreart.com/2019/03/bmorearts-picks-baltimore-art-openings-galleries-and-events-march-26-april-1.html.
Maryland Institute College of Art
BFA Painting w/ Graphic Design Concentration
Solo/Duo Shows
TAPROOT. Waller Gallery. Baltimore, MD. (2019)
Group Shows
Online/Offline. New Collectors Gallery. New York, NY. (2021)
Walking Show. Collisions Craft. Baltimore, MD. (2021)
Color Tomorrow (2). Montgomery Park Gallery. Baltimore, MD. (2020)
NextGen 7.0. VisArts. Baltimore, MD. (2020)
Waiting for the Sun, Waiting for You. Mt. Royal Station. Baltimore, MD. (2019)
Spotlight: South and Southeast Asia. Leake Hall. Baltimore, MD. (2018)
UNRVL 18. Open Works. Baltimore, MD. (2018)
Digital Rituals. Interaction Gallery. Rotterdam, NL. (2018)
Senior Survey. Fox Gallery 2. Baltimore, MD. (2018)
Last Minute. Fox Gallery 3. Baltimore, MD. (2018)
Post Post Self. Gateway Gallery. Baltimore, MD. (2018)
Draw It Out. Meyerhoff Gallery. Baltimore, MD. (2018)
Spectrum II. Center for Identity and Inclusion. Baltimore, MD. (2018)
Idea of the Orient. Main Ground Floor Gallery. Baltimore, MD. (2017)
Spectrum. Station North Gallery. Baltimore, MD. (2017)
Scholarships/Grants/Awards
International Collaboration Travel Award, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD. (2018)
MICA Diveristy Grant, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD. (2018)
Creative Vision Award, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD. (2015 - 2019)
National Arts Honors Society Scholarship, Alexandria, VA. (2015 - 2019)
Northern California Scholarship, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD. (2015 - 2019)
Trustee Scholarship, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD. (2015 - 2019)
California Arts Scholar, California State Summer School for the Arts, Valencia, CA. (2014)
Residencies
Unravel Residency, Willem De Kooning Academy, Rotterdam, NL. (2018)
California State Summer School for the Arts, Valencia, CA. (2014)
Press
Juliette, Rebecca. “BmoreArt’s Picks: Baltimore Art Openings, Galleries, and Event.” BmoreArt. www.bmoreart.com/2019/03/bmorearts-picks-baltimore-art-openings-galleries-and-events-march-26-april-1.html.