ABOUT THE ARTIST

Annie Abdalla

I'm inspired by the magic that is created in a theatre space. I recall as a child spending lots of time looking at the ceiling wondering what a room would look like upside down. This informs my current practice in that my paintings often defy still life traditions by releasing conventional notions of weight and space.

These shapes and objects are often inspired by my work in movement and dance where I am curious about the impact of small gestures on how a scene reads or how a dancer experiences a movement. Adjusting the angle between chin and neck, for example, can change the entire path of a visual story. A similar condition exists with marks on a surface which can animate a space in so many different ways. I often explore for months, or even years, with the same shapes.

I have an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from Goddard College and a Masters in Environmental Studies from York University; I've also studied interdisciplinary art at Naropa University and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Since 2002 I've been teaching movement studies in the Department of Theatre at Dalhousie University and individualized studies at Goddard College. I live by the ocean in Nova Scotia where the rhythms of the sea nourish me every day.

Selected Exhibitions