One of the most inspirational female artists around today, Shahla Rosa is a contemporary surrealist artist whose work is truly magical. Rosa has been working in the surrealist style for the last 25 years and finds herself inspired by some of the greatest artists of the Surrealist Movement that began in the 1920’s. Artists like André Breton, Salvador Dali, Frederico Fellini and Hieronymus Bosch. Working mainly with Oil on Canvas, Rosa’s work really brings painting to life. She won several national prizes in her teenage years and this recognition of her talent inspired her to pursue a career in the world of art.Rosa was passionate about art from early on in her childhood. Her father, an amateur painter, began mentoring her at the tender age of just five. Passing on his skills and techniques to her and introducing her to ‘a galaxy of creation’. She spent the rest of her youth studying art in Europe, attending both the Kunst Academy in Düsseldorf and the Institute European in Florence. Rosa later returned to Southern California to study for two more degrees, in Technical Production and Fashion Design. Rosa’s work is very typical of the Surrealist Movement. Her paintings are intricate and detailed with unexpected juxtapositions and they have a dreamy, hallucinatory quality to them. Rosa also writes surrealist poetry in her spare time, but her true love and favourite means of expression will always be painting. She believes the source of all creation is pure consciousness. Attempting to free the unconscious and present it in the moment. Her art is a manifestation of the mind, the exploration of a dream world. It brings the subconscious into reality in order to establish a relationship between the two. By stepping into the field of the unknown, Rosa’s work challenges people on both a conscious and subconscious level. Successfully bringing one of the most dominant and influential art movements forwards into the 21st century.

FAULT: Which artists do you admire most? Do you take inspiration from non-surrealist artists?

Shahla: Hieronymus Bosch, was the first artist I started to know, as in my study period, I always admired his vigorous imagination on a period of history, that they would have called him insane, my admiration still goes towards him, only, I don’t believe up to now anybody can take his place. His work and philosophy of his art is a Marvellous and unique. Although in today’s society we have great visionary and surrealist artists, and I go through their art works with pleasure, yet the sublime details of Hieronymus artwork, is, still like all souls in my mind naked and it looks like a monumental setting given to the symbols of the passion. Later, when I became familiar with Salvador Dali, he was added to my very short list, mostly again for his courage and the excellent execution of his technique. Federico Fellini was the greatest director in his time and his admirable movies up to now, which left immense intense influences on today’s movie makers. I enjoy looking at any kind of art work from traditional to pop art, they boost my imagination and it’s the best way to get to know the artists who created them.

FAULT: What inspires you to create your artwork?

Shahla: Many subjects, many elements, selected arbitrarily with separate identity, which can be interpreted by bringing them together, create a movement steadily from the abstract towards the concrete. In this case I’m witnessing a vigorous stirring of the thought process becoming infinitely inductive and extensible, rebelling against all the odds, and like as unexpected way carrying the strong echoes of words in my mind in the right direction.

FAULT: What do you wish to achieve through your work?

Shahla: I would say; I wish, I walk parallel of hopeful time to reach the evaporation of a promising renaissance again, and then I walk against all the movement related to struggling  development and join their statement with a language name reprinted history media and implications of a revolution, which is well-circulated in a peaceful way. And I guess I would call it Legacy!

FAULT: In what sort of environment do you like to create your artwork?

Shahla: SILENT, is my best environment and ideal companionship, it connect me with the circle  of my characters in my mind, and of course, the emotional attachment to IDEAS bring me to idealize them more and more as the guide of my thoughts and feelings and yet the  chronological relationship between the composition, drives from necessity to establish the creation of surrealist scenery and bringing about a total revolution of the movement through various measures. So the true union of me and silent create an art work.

FAULT: Would you say you learnt most of the techniques you use now whilst studying?

Shahla: We usually go to school to learn about life’s alphabets, it is there, we experience challenge, hard work and new lessons and get ready for the time when we have to execute those learning and experience in our life time. So, school is a start, and when we merge into our society, it is there, we learn to communicate and use our theoretical lessons we learned. So the society is the intermediate. Yet when we have the God given talent, and we start to create, and give the society our power of abilities, it is when, we become our own Masterpiece.

FAULT: What do you see for the future of the Surrealist Movement?

Shahla: I see, the surrealism and its movement, become a miraculous gift, given to earth by to ennoble and enrich all those, who are able to appreciate it’s superior and striking qualities.

FAULT: How does the transformation from subconscious to canvas happen? How do you translate your ideas into something visual?

Shahla: The transformation goes through a method of provoking ideas, images by permanent contact with the unconscious, which allow me diversity and differences to appear naturally. Also uncovering the unknown from my unconscious has to go through a path of dream  and desire, getting constantly connected to the psychic Automatism, which gives me directly the courage to reveal them on the canvas. The voluptuous wandering of the instincts, in the intelligence, hope for future, and my vulnerability in the face of death. This compound will intrude an element of doubt into my mind; this healthful doubt will open up a pathway towards a superior intelligence for me. So unconsciously I’m always in a position to excel in them.

FAULT: Where can people go to see or buy your artwork?

Shahla: In moment I have many exhibitions in Europe and USA, the best way to be  update with my work and purchasing, is via “ Myspace blog”, by clicking on, www.myspace.com/s153315511, or sending me a message.

FAULT: What first lured you towards Surrealism?

Shahla: The absolute freedom of thought, as Breton called it (the art of insane), which linked to a complex mental life, an amazing true union of living beings, which tells me nothing is forbidden, whether surrealist (in any shape) or figurative.

FAULT: The Surrealist Movement is generally associated with more historical artists. Would you say that Surrealism is very much still alive?

Shahla: Yes, I would say, it is more active and alive than ever. Every day the number of artists working in surrealist and visionary art is growing. If we look around us, in today’s society, we are surrounded by all kof fantasy, visionary and surrealist art in the form of painting, sculpture, movies, games, writing, even our life style. New generation is not satisfied with the common stories any more. The new works for generation are unveiled. It seems they are looking for appearance of God as Man world to bring the fulfilment and conquer of human longing. The expression of immortal beauty is still their chief aim. Which all can be found in a surrealist world

FAULT: What other methods and techniques do you like to explore other than painting?

Shahla: Sculpture, poetry, and creating historical and operatic costumes for display.

FAULT: What is your favourite piece of work and why?

Shahla: I always get attached to the series of my recent work, I guess because of the last but not least effort and experience I induce to my work, the recent series of “Dante, Divine Comedy”, which I started since last year (2009) and still continue, Canto by Canto from the first book “Inferno”, and definitely the last piece I finished Dec / 2009; Name; ( Keith Wigdor and the surrealist revolution) This piece is a tribute to a dear friend of mine” Keith Wigdor”, who hims multitalented artist, and for one and half decade his constant effort and determinat keeping the surrealist movement more & more active and alive in the 21st Century I worked on this piece for three and half months by adapting his mostly selected poetry which deeply influenced me, and translated them into the language of painting on canvas. The reason of my attachment to this piece is; The architectural arrangement in certain order with a bridge of power that primarily serve a narrative function and creates two morphed triangles into each other which help the two circle of life being in constant immortal moving.

FAULT: So what do you do when you are not creating art?

Shahla: Well, I guess I still would thinking about it, surrealism is my electron element, it is in my cells as well as my vital substance, and it is in my bare skin, I’m covered with this  Marvellous word, I can’t escape away from it. So even when I’m not creating, still follows me, like my shadow. I love life of surrealism.

FAULT: What are your plans for the future in regards to your art and artistic direction?

Shahla: Doing the same just more advanced and working on new technique, or may be God knows! Can’t exactly predict yet, But I have many new ideas in my mind to Execute!

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