In order for the artist to illustrate the world of women as she perceives it, represent their humanity and reveal their own language, she used a combination of materials using a three-dimensional mixing technique of acrylic, modelling paste, and resin, and gilded some areas with gold leaf to add a lustre that characterizes the work and highlights the beauty of the female form.
Shaban aims to make of her pieces an object that testifies to the fact that every woman has her mission that distinguishes her, and every woman has her journey that immortalizes her in life. She bears witness to the worlds of women, embodies their humanity, and worked with her own body language in illustrating her concerns and emotions.
The titles of her works speaks to these themes: Topography of Life, Ray of Hope, Aspiration of a Woman, Floating In My Dreams, Vitality, Warrior’s Rest, Dancing Cities, History of a Glory, Thousand and One Arabian Nights, Love Lies Beyond…
In addition, she is launching for the first time a fashion line printed with her artworks, scarves and shawls made by a French company specializing in textile printing. These pieces were specially made for the exhibition to emphasize the art of feminine adornment.
something about her biography
Shaban is an architect and visual artist originally from Baghdad, Iraq and currently residing in Montreal. In 1990, she graduated with honors from her Bachelor's degree in Architectural Engineering at the University of Baghdad. She has also studied at the AA School in London in their Environment and Climate program, and also majored in Interior Design and Painting. She later worked in architecture for 14 years at one of the largest architectural offices in Montreal and took part in international building projects constructed at that time. As an architect by training, her works relies on the concepts of architectural engineering elements. There is a circular and angular focus, with the body’s lines emphasizing the sense of movement as an expressive means. Since 2007, She has held 7 personal art exhibitions across the globe, in countries including Canada, the United States, Jordan and Italy. She has been the recipient of several awards throughout her career, including a Iraqi Canadian award for creativity from the Iraqi Artists Association in Baghdad, the Excellence Award from the Iraqi and Canadian diplomatic corps, and the Iraq Engineers Award through the Zaha Hadid course at the University of Technology. From 2016 to 2021, she was President of the Montreal Branch of the Association of Artists and Writers in Canada, during which she held several joint exhibitions and screenings for Iraqi films. She’s also been a member of the administrative board of the Iraqi-Canadian Association since 2021, as well as several international technical and engineering associations and associations. A contemporary Iraqi artist, her works are inspired by the ancient civilizations of the Land of the Dead, and her architectural background greatly affected her artwork. Her style gradually evolved from paintings depicting traditional Iraqi scenes, to artworks that illustrate symbolic abstract scenes. Painting for Zaineb Shaban is the contrast between the architecture of the cities and villages of yesterday and today.
