Arnela Mahmutovic's Projects

BFA Alumni

Major: Painting

Graduation Year: 2017

Artist Statement:

My growth as an artist has always lived within a cultural geography. Being born into a very conservative Bosnian family and then moving to America created an intense shift in my development as an individual. My understanding of the world is in constant flux as these two cultures come together. Through my work I aim not to state that one perspective is superior to another, but instead that there is a harmony I seek that lies between the two.

I see in my work a dialogue between material and content. By exploring different processes, the goal is to reflect on the different inquiries of cultural identity I propose within each piece. My thesis is a continued exploration of identity through the lens of a shared Bosnian and American experience. Through the process of painting and printmaking, I have turned self-portraiture into something malleable, metaphorically representing Bosnian tradition through a contemporary American dialogue.

Using my artistic process as a way to communicate globally, I want to connect to individuals of different backgrounds, giving way to conversations that extend beyond the art world.

Biography:

Arnela Mahmutović is an artist whose creative landscape reflects a cultural geography. Through her relationship with drawing and painting, Arnela creates a dialogue between her depicted figures. Exploring the contrasts of her Bosnian upbringing and how moving to the United States has created an intense shift in personal development, she hopes to use the human figure as a vehicle to directly connect to the viewer emotionally.

Arnela currently resides in Portland Maine, where she will receive her BFA in Painting from Maine College of Art during the Spring of 2017. Prior to her transfer to MECA, Arnela Attended Hudson Valley Community College and received her AS degree in Fine Arts. She plans on continuing her studies; ultimately entering the field as a working artist and educator.