Stacy Najim
Artist Statement
Surrounded by inspiring artists and the striking landscape of so many different regions, it's difficult to be brief about where I find creative momentum. Artists like Frida Kahlo, Francis Bacon, Hieronymus Bosch, Paul Klee, and Jasper Johns have all left a lasting impression on me—their work continues to turn the gears of my imagination.
My compositions begin as visions—people, animals, or abstract ideas that reveal themselves through textures in my environment. A knot in a wood panel, a puddle in a dirt path, the smoky swirl of marble on a moody wall—these become faces that smirk, animals at play, anamorphic scenes, or hidden characters. They return in dreams, demanding to be painted, refusing to rest until they find form on a canvas.
I capture these visions as quickly as possible, sketching them or writing descriptions to return to later. Because they often arrive as brief flashes, I ground them through research—exploring environments, time periods, or symbolic references that bring cohesion and clarity. I’ll project initial sketches onto canvas to establish the focal point, or draw them directly, sometimes creating small studies that later evolve into larger works.
Rather than starting on a blank white surface, I prepare the canvas with bold underpaintings—cadmium yellows or reds, or moody blues, greens, and blacks—depending on the tone of the piece. These underlayers peek through, offering a voice, a light, or a kind of tunnel from beyond. I work primarily in acrylics to move quickly and intuitively with color, while also incorporating oils for their depth, richness, and blendability. Recently, I’ve begun experimenting with gold leaf, introducing a layer of texture and depth that evokes the religious panels I studied in Art History.