Wendy , acrylic on wood
above , Enigma of Pursuit , oil on linen left , Where Do We Go , oil on linen
conscious has the opportunity to slip into her works , sometimes without her even noticing until the painting has been completed . While in the studio , we discuss one of her works in progress , which she explains is about the circle of life . The piece shows a reclining woman — a classic motif in paintings — dreaming . The whole upper register of the painting represents a dream , which is an appropriation of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo ’ s An Allegory with Venus and Time . Jabbur ’ s interpretation of Tiepolo ’ s piece subtly adds elements of modern war . Her home country of Syria continued to be on her mind while she was creating this piece . “ I never thought what was happening in Syria could ever happen . It is weighing on me ,” she admits . Adding elements of modern warfare to this painting about fertility and death was a struggle . It is very easy for a painting to become too illustrative for Jabbur ’ s personal style . When struggling with a painting , she gives it time to breathe by either drawing
Orlando Arts & Culture , v . 2.2 with charcoal or working on one of her many in-process , labor-intensive paintings .
Because of the scale and amount of detail that go into her paintings , Jabbur spends countless hours in the studio to complete a single work . “ It is extremely helpful to have deadlines ,” she says . “ Sometimes it is easy to spend too long on a painting . Deadlines help make the fi nal decisions .” These deadlines come from shows and exhibitions that Jabbur displays her art in . She currently has work displayed at the Orange County Commission Chambers for their Art in the Chambers show . She has been publicly showing her work since the 1990s and enjoys every second of it . “ I want people to see my art . It comes to life in a new way .” The only downside of having a private studio space , for Jabbur , is the lack of interaction . She reminisced about the days that she was able to talk to peers while working on projects in a shared studio space , but now , as a painting professor at Valencia College , she is surrounded by other working artists who are more than willing to give feedback .
Over the course of her career , Rima Jabbur has had multiple solo shows , including one at Cornell University and one in Beirut , and has been a part of numerous in group shows across Florida . Lately , she has been pining for another solo show in Beirut . She has also been looking into galleries in New York City for representation in the United States . Traditional portraiture may not be the most popular form of painting , currently , but it is a style that will never be obsolete . “ Everyone is interested in the human form ,” Jabbur states . “ It always comes back to people .”
You can see more at : RimaJabbur . com
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