Q
Susanne Tabet
Alexandria, Virginia
BIOGRAPHY
Drawing inspiration from my diverse experiences living and working across Western Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, I create paintings that celebrate femininity in all its forms. Now based in Alexandria, Virginia, I work on large-scale, semi-abstractions from a studio within the Torpedo Factory Art Center. Though I discovered painting in my early twenties, it was only five years ago that I started sharing my work with the public. Since then, my paintings have been featured in several group exhibitions, including the All Member Show at Falls Church Arts (Falls Church, VA), the Local Art Show at Northside Social (Arlington, VA), and Savage Muse, an online exhibition presented by Hanbell Gallery (San Antonio, Texas), as part of the Culturally Arts Collective Artist-in-Residence program. I was also honored to secure First Prize in the RCWA National "By and About Women" competition for my collage titled Donna; and to have my work featured on the cover of Modern Renaissance Arts Magazine (Issue 12). I am represented by Touchstone Gallery, Washington, D.C., and eagerly anticipating upcoming ArtMUC in Munich, Germany.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I create large-scale, semi-abstract paintings that celebrate femininity in all its forms. By portraying women, not as objects of desire, but as individuals with their own agency and experiences, I challenge traditional perspectives in art and culture. Through this work, I aim to offer a distinct perspective on the female experience. Inspired by the Abstract Expressionists, I experiment with a diverse and unconventional color palette to evoke moods and emotions. I want to amplify the female voice through unapologetically bold colors and dynamic compositions. My subjects often gaze back at the viewer as embodiments of strength, courage, and autonomy. The act of painting itself is a significant component of my practice. I apply spontaneous brushstrokes, building up layers of paint to create a tactile and visually engaging surface with texture and depth. My final works often border on abstraction, with unrecognizable elements that invite diverse perspectives and reject prescriptive, fixed meanings. I strive to enable viewers to engage with my paintings in a way that is personal and meaningful to them.
