Marwa Obeid

Architecting Cultural Bridges
(A journey through cultural rhythms and connection) 

My artwork explores the concept of belonging and cultural identity, acting as a gateway that introduces audiences to the shared spaces between different worlds. Through multi-dimensional compositions, I invite viewers to navigate the transition between modern displacement and historical continuity. 

This body of work communicates the complex emotional abstract of living between Canada and the Middle East. It examines the dualities of my personal journey, where the modern living intersects with the deep desire to establish roots. By translating cultures into physical forms, I look to establish a tangible sense of place and connection for anyone who has ever moved between distinct cultural spheres. 

My creative process is heavily guided by the rhythms of Arabic calligraphy and the geometric elegance found within Ottoman, Persian, and Andalusian architectures. I represented these ancestral motifs, utilizing maritime colors with emphasis on black, white and gold to symbolize my transitions across multiple cultures. To make these invisible concepts permanent, I replace the flat surface with the multi-dimensional surface, building up layers of many medias where every added layer symbolizes a specific landmark or step in a physical transition across my life. By using these dimensional components, I pull the audience closer and breathe life into the artwork, breaking the boundary of a traditional flat canvas to demand a powerful sensory connection. 

~Mentor: Adrian Golban, CAAP Instructor

Marwa Obeid is a contemporary abstract artist who lives between Canada and the Middle East. Actively producing work since 2020, she has developed a versatile artistic voice through a combination of formal training through Artisanship Program in USask and self-taught exploration. Her background of business innovation, played a great role in managing and creating of her art work.  

Specializing in texture abstract art, Obeid manipulates a wide variety of structural materials to build profound depth and tactile presence upon surfaces, which she layers alongside paste, ceramic elements, mosaic glass, foam, wood & fabric. By transforming traditional flat planes into reliefs, multi-dimensional terrains, she sculpts tactile abstracts that challenge the boundary between acrylic painting and low-relief sculpture. 

Driven by a deep connection to regional culture and natural beauty, Obeid finds core inspiration in Ottoman, Persian, and Andalusian designs. She masterfully weaves the rhythm of Arabic calligraphy and the ever-changing sea essence into her abstract compositions. The resulting pieces serve as a powerful dialogue between cultural motifs and physical texture, inviting viewers to explore cultural narrative through deeply layered, tactile forms.