ARTIST STATEMENT
My name is Sariah Ha, also known as SariaHArt in my social media accounts, I became an influencer renowned for the use of professional artist supplies across various social networks. My source of income is when I am collaborate with individuals seeking personal portraits of themselves or their loved ones, whether it be, a portrait of their pet or a landscape that brings happiness in one’s life. But that is not why I am an artist. I love taking risks and am fearless in ruining a portrait because the true fascination between the portrait and me is the medium being used. I am intrigued by the organic movement of different inks, different pigments reacting in a particular way that brings a sense of realism to me. Just like life itself, comes with so many obstacles at random given points in life, I express that pain, time in moment, a twist of betrayal all produces a unique emotion to my artwork from the use of the color and mixed media being used. My technique creates a lasting impact that enhances the truth on life itself. Throughout my career, I have gained recognition for being able to manipulate the mediums to produce a distinct textures that evokes a variety of emotion to my final portrait. I have been drawing and painting for over 25 years, and with that experience, I am fascinated and obsessed by the process of creating with bold colors in a diversified technique over a finished piece, As many professional companies provide me with high end artist supplies, in which, a trade is for my true feedback by creating a reel, short, and video on the supply. As grateful as I am to be honored and companies providing me professional art supplies, it limits me on creating art in itself. Creating videos and editing a single video takes more than ten hours to create a mere 59 second short.
Describing myself as an artist was difficult as it was to have time to create for myself. Without thinking about the cost of materials, I want to paint freely. I want to paint large without spending days on creating a short. Being able to just create with no interruptions, no distractions, no responsibilities feels like a dream that I have been chasing for the past 15years.
To be completely honest, I am trapped within myself that after pretending my happiness for so long, my health is now at risk. I want to be free! Healthy, less fatigued, be eliminated from all the diagnosis diseases that manifested on me. I struggle everyday no matter what day it is, The smile I elude to the world is a habit that was practiced and engulfed in me since I can remember. I have so many secrets that are dark and make me vulnerable. I want to express all these emotions freely without feeling guilty. It seems like such a far off dream, something impossible, dark and vulnerable. I want to express the shame and truth to my artwork. Everyday is a challenge to live and breathe. Feeling stuck and lost is just a mundane feeling until I start creating and expressing the raw feelings that are fighting me daily. It feels like a lifetime ago where I was evoked and eradicated to express my thoughts through imagery and words. Letting my body of work represents the differences and letting art heal the feeling of scrutiny and belittle. I want to create a body of artwork that represents the entrapment, of forgoing my breath. My sanity, my freedom, my view as a middle aged woman who’s sinking with auto-immune diseases, anxiety, stress, and new boulders of rocks that is sinking me down even further. And for me to represent such turmoil takes me back to the mediums I use until I am able to create a certain texture to evoke a certain feeling. For my viewers to grasp more deeply and understand that the process is a vital part of my artwork. Layering different mediums, enables me to express the difficulty, chaotic, challenging, and the truth in life that many pretend and falsify through pictures and videos on social media “their perfect world.”
My artwork enforces the viewer to imagine and contemplate the truth behind domesticated female.Trapped, lied, and blamed for other wrongdoings were forced upon me. This is not just an illusion, but rather became my true identity. My current body of artwork depicts the feelings of isolation, betrayal, entrapment, limited viewpoints, blinded, tricked, manipulated, frowned, failed, useless. I want to be broken free from anxiety, depression, and paint freely, without any limitations. I want to show the viewer that I am creating these juxtapose pieces of redefining my true identity.I lost myself devoting my years to motherhood, I want to be able to paint large with no restrictions. I want to be able to let ink drip on the ground without thinking about a stain, I want to be able to use oils and encaustic mediums without thinking about the poor ventilation and health risks.
SPONSORSHIPS: 2022-2023
-Ampersand Boards-
Sponsors me with their new surfaces to experiment and I provide feedback on the quality of each surface
from Scratch Art, Watercolor Board, Encaustic Boards, Seamless Frames, Watercolor Board, Pastel Board, and so on…
-Legion Paper-
Provides Many different types of surfaces,
such as YUPO PAPER, TRANSPARENT, HEAVYWEIGHT 300LB, WATERCOLOR BLOCK (HOT & COLD PRESS) Drawing Paper (heavy weight), SKETCHBOOKS AND more.
-Grumbacher-
Social Media (INSTAGRAM) artist representative
-Super Vision
Unboxing new watercolor sets through social media
-Mister Art
provides artist materials that I need to create my artwork and in exchange I tag their products that are being used and create more exposure for them.
2022-present:
Ambassador for HOLBEIN
Artist Materials
They provide me with new materials to experiment planning on providing workshops
Exhibitions
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
-Art-Loft of the Florence Mill Omaha Nebraska 68112 $1,000 honorarium. 2008
GROUP EXHIBITITIONS:
-FIGURES: Monologue/Dialogue LH Horton Jr. Gallery Delta Center for the Art Stockton California 95207 2010
The Painted Veil Bill Lowe Gallery Santa Monica, California 2007
-TARFEST Festival of Film, Music, and Art The Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles California 90024. 2007
-Under the Influence of the Hi-Desert The Red Arrow Gallery Joshua Tree California 92252 2007
-The Blanche Ames National Juried Art Exhibition North Easton, Massachusetts 02067 2007
-Knobturnal Mountain Bar: Los Angeles California 90012 2006
-Different Stroke SCURR Los Angeles Conference: Los Angeles California 90041 2006
-Cross Culture CSU Fullerton Exit Gallery Fullerton California 92634 2006
-A New Beginning Cerritos College Art Gallery: Norwalk California 90650 2004
Publications
-News Press, Nebraska City Nebraska 2008 Pg.B2
- Korea Times, Los Angeles California, October 1, 2007
-HWY 62 Joshua Tree California. 2007 High Desert
-Hi -Desert Star Joshua Tree CA Wednesday. 2007
Titled: Night Painter: Sariah Ha
-TARFEST Festival of Art Los Angeles California, 2007
-Hi-Desert Star Joshua Tree California, 2007
Residencies
-Edenfred Residency Madison, Wisconsin 53705, 2009
-Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts Nebraska City, Nebraska 68418 Studio/Grant $600, 2007-2008
-Joshua Tree Highlands Joshua Tree, California 90291. 2007
Awards
- Connor Meigs Award $1,000 Honorarium, July 2008
- Kimmel Harding Nelson for the Arts Award Grant $600, January, 2008
- California State University Fullerton Founder and Leadership 2007
- Cerritos College, California Student of the Year Curricular. Art Award 2003
- Department of Art and Design Scholarship John De Mott Award 2003
-California State University Fullerton -Deans List 2004-2007 -Phi Theta Kappa 2004-2007 -Golden Key International Honour —Society 2004-2007
-Cerritos College, California Phi Theta Kappa International Scholastic Order 2002-2004
-FIDM President’s Honor Roll 2000-2002
Education
-California State University Fullerton Bachelors of Fine Art {B.F.A} Drawing and Painting 2007
-Study Abroad Spain & Morocco 2006 Italy/Rome 2004 -Cerritos College A.A. DRAWING AND PAINTING 2004 A.A. ART HISTORY 2004 The Fashion Institute of Design Merchandising FIDM. A.A. Marketing & Product Development 2002