Today we’d like to introduce you to Saida Fagala-Hag.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I see the beauty everywhere, the sky, plants, animals, human, our Planet and the Universe! I had no choice but to be an artist:) I was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, in a family of artist. Ever since I was young, I was drawing. My father
would joke that I started to draw at the same time that I started to talk. I was surrounded by art, my family, my friends. we all lived in a huge apartment complex that was built for artists. My father had a studio on the 5th floor and I spent all my childhood in his studio drawing. I loved bright colors and made big complicated compositions depicting women dressed in a heavily ornamented Azeri costumes. I think women were always my most favorite subjects!
I graduated from the Baku State Art College 1974-77 with Bachelor of Arts degree, then graduated from Baku State University of the Fine Arts and Culture 1978-1983 –MFA ceramics. I spent 1 year in St. Petersburg studying academic drawing and painting. In 1983 started working at the Ceramic Factory at the Union of Artist’s as a leading artist and mass production designer.
After moving to the Unites States in 1998 I started teaching arts at the private art school in NJArt-4All, then we moved to Houston in 2000 and I became a Member of the Texas Clay association and
participated in various exhibitions and was collaborating with commercial galleries like: Anya Tish Gallery, Asher Gallery (HCCC) Foeller Pottery Gallery, Winter Street studios- gallery 3, The East End gallery, Talent Bilingual, Beth Gallery , Hanson Galleries, Houston Center for Contemporary Crafts and more… I also continued my teaching career and was working as an art instructor at the City Artworks until 2015. In 2009 I accepted full time teaching position; this is what makes me very happy-working with kids and sharing all my experience. Currently I teach arts at The Post Oak school and have my little clay group. I think my students are my biggest inspiration and support.
Please tell us about your art.
My artworks are inspired by nature, my culture and the people. I create sculptural portraits, figures and of course as every ceramist I love making plates and bowls. Every piece is unique and tells a short story; it could be someone that I met and was inspired by or some moment in my life that I wanted to depict.
My most favorite material to work with is clay, especially- porcelain. I love the way it complements the simplicity of my technique. There is something truly beautiful about porcelain’s translucency. My sculptural works included women’s portraits and nudes. For a long time, my primary colors were cobalt blue and white. In my next phase I began working with Terra-cotta clay. I love the rich earthy color and how this clay works with different types of glazes. It is interesting because this style was unlike any of my previous styles.
Recently I started working on my big project” Magnificent Ocean “and realized that I cannot use only clay and porcelain, and need some supportive material, so I discovered metallic wire and started making woven vessels. This new composition took more than two years and hopefully will be displayed soon. What attracts me to the metallic wire it’s a fluid and flexible look that create an image of the vulnerable corals and anemones.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
Being disciplined, I do work a full-time teaching, so making extra time is a big challenge.
I think professional artists are vulnerable, wearing too many hats: create, sell and promote. They need to be understood and supported by the partners.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
At the moment I collaborate with the Foleber Pottery Gallery and Studios and Russian Cultural center “Our Texas”
Contact Info:
- Address: 2302 Cherry Bend Dr, Houston, TX 77077
- Website: www.ceramica-saida.tmblr.com
- Phone: 832-230-7919
- Email: saidahag@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saida_hf/
Image Credit:
Tom Callins, Victoria Asinovsky
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