Maryam Gaber
Chicago, Illinois
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Favorite cartoon character: Mr. Fox from Fantastic Mr. Fox
Best museum: The Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the Musee d’Orsay
Stolen artwork of choice: "Expectation" by Gustav Klimt or Paul Klee’s "Hand Puppets"
Dream vacation: Jamaica
Favorite film: The Fountain by Darren Aronofsky
Breakfast of choice: Baguette and honey
Favorite color: Prussian blue and violet
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My work is culturally and socially motivated. I am Egyptian, and I have lived in Cairo all my life. My move to Chicago in 2005 to study at the School of the Art Institute influenced the way I view the world and think about balance.
My drawings and paintings are about worlds that exist so vividly in my head, and I am constantly recreating them on paper and canvas. I am a collector of dreams and memories simply because I am afraid of forgetting. I think that the world is too fast, and I like to challenge people to slow down. My drawings are about communication, relationships, and obsession. They vary in size from small intimate portraits, to very large worlds and narratives. The narratives are often based on short stories I wrote, or stories created by my father. Every image I make reflects a personal moment that I am making public. I view them as love letters to strangers, but I think that my images are stronger than my words.
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