August 2022, Lausanne, Switzerland
Translation AGENDA - Cultural Review of the Lemanic Arc *Simia – coffee art, murals and other inspirations*
We meet Simia at Starbucks Coffee in Lausanne, where 20 of her works are exhibited this summer. On the walls, the subjects are varied: tribute to the origins of coffee, wild animals, portraits of stars, views of Lausanne... All In Coffee.
If it was at the tender age of 2 that she produced her first mural on the walls of the family apartment, without permission, with her mother's lipsticks, as the artist recounts with humor, it is only belatedly that she will make art a professional choice. But this former human rights lawyer does not regret any detour and has always led her life with passion. For years, she traveled the world, devoting herself entirely to her work. A life on the move in which art was never far away:
Simia recalls having been impressed by trompe-l'œil in Paris and in Tunisia. In Tanzania, she admired street artists and their well-defined style. In Uganda, she decides to paint a fresco on the wall of their house... soon noticed by the Italian Ambassador who commissioned her to create one in his private residence.
Then everything changed with the birth of her son Anouch, who has Down syndrome and autism. Simia realized that she could not keep up the heavily demanded pace: "The egos that we encounter, the work at night and on weekends, it was no longer for me. I started painting murals in Anouch's room and I was back!" By working part-time, Simia regained some freedom to paint, deciding that practice would be her best teacher. Slowly the warm Swiss-Iranian with the golden first name built up her artistic portfolio, at first self-taught, then with mentors, in particular the English artist muralist Chris Westall whom she spontaneously invited to discover Kenya in exchange for a Masterclass on her house walls in Nairobi!
Returning to Switzerland in 2018, after 8 years in Africa, Simia began to paint with coffee at the hotel that temporarily housed them. Conquered, she saw in this material, liquid but shiny and able to take on a certain thick texture when it is applied in several layers, a compromise between acrylic, which she masters the use, and watercolor which intimidates her.
Wishing to make a name for herself as an artist in her native country, her café fan art met success, having painted many portraits of stars who inspire her. It is these works that ensured her a place in his first exhibition in Lausanne in February 2020, at Swiss Art Space. But, wonders the enthusiastic artist, how to dedicate oneself to a single discipline when one loves so many subjects, so many medium, from walls to canvas, paper, coffee, but also acrylic, pastel, gold leaf and metallic paints. A versatility difficult to fit into a box imposed by the sales world, but indeed conducive to encounters and new unexpected challenges, such as her participation in the Swiss Coffee Connection 2022! (5th Coffee Festival in Lausanne)
Simia – Léman mon Âme Solo exhibition Until December 15, 2022 Hôtel du Port, Lausanne Instagram: @simia.artist (updated)
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