Background:
Born in Syria before the civil war, Ayla experienced first-hand the suffering and injustice caused by the tyrannical rule of her government. In her teenage years her father bravely secured safe passage to Saudi for her and her family. After leaving, her parents received an image of their building with a massive hole in its structure as it has been destroyed, yet her troubles weren't over. Unlike when she was in Syria, she now had to live in a different environment, a more religion focused Saudi Arabia. She wasn't allowed to learn to drive as a woman or wear anything other than the socially acceptable abaya or long modest clothing in public. However the worst part of living in Saudi was the lack of any opportunities for women to grow, to even seek leisure, and most importantly to express themselves.
As her family became more accustomed to living in Saudi she felt more like a stranger, as her desire to leave grew every day.She spent her teenage years in her room as she desperately sought any freedom she could find, and she found that through fantasy and art. Art was her form of expression and as the years went by, she practiced and practiced while she waited for an opportunity to leave.
That opportunity presented itself as a degree outside of Saudi, in the UAE. She took architecture with the hope of becoming a designer. Not only was this to be an opportunity to express herself, but it was also going to be the first time since living in Syria that she would get to experience any kind of independence or freedom. It also helped that her parents had studied architecture so this would be something they would have in common.
It was later while studying in Dubai that she met her husband and chose to flee her old life to start again in Australia. She finally gets to live with the freedom to express herself and live as she pleases. She uses her time to draw, paint and express her past and future truths. She now gets to tell the story of her youth with the hope that she can show you how good things can come from bad situations, and to bring awareness to things she finds dear to her (or things that she thinks are really cool).
Art Forms:
A Surrealist Artist first and foremost, but not limited to a single style. Ayla is at her best when she mixes surrealism with other artistic styles like Realism or Abstract Art. Creating contrast, not just with the colors used, but also within the design of the artwork. She is accustomed to using anything she can find to practice or create, and that's most evident when she creates art with mixed media. Her expertise with Graphite, Pen, Charcoal, Acryllic, Watercolor, Copics and Pastel really shines when she shows how seamlessly she can combine multiple artistic medium. She regrets the low-effort modern art movement that prioritizes profitability and does her best to make sure that her artwork is filled with detail through effort.
