Where Difference Dissolves: Painting as Encounter
- Seona Sommer
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Article by Seona Sommer
On My Artistic Path
I grew up in a world where art was not part of everyday life. It was not absent by refusal, but simply not present—no museums, no rituals of looking, no language for art as a way of being. Still, I began creating as a teenager, sensing something unnamed but essential. It was only in my mid-thirties that I fully stepped into my identity as an artist. By then, I had already completed two academic degrees and built a secure professional life. There was no conventional path left—only devotion. I painted whenever time allowed, until in 2017 I made the decision to give myself entirely to my work.
Since then, my paintings have traveled far beyond me: from Andria to Seoul, from Chișinău to Taiwan and the United States. They have been met by audiences, publications, and institutions, but what matters most to me is resonance. Alongside my studio practice, I remain deeply rooted in my local context while nurturing international connections, understanding art as something that grows strongest when it remains in dialogue—with places, with people, with lived realities.
On My Art and Inspiration
I paint to understand what makes us human. Working primarily in realistic oil portraiture, I approach painting as a form of listening—a quiet, attentive presence. I am less interested in appearance than in encounter. My portraits emerge from empathy and emotional proximity; the connection with my subjects begins long before the brush touches the canvas.
What draws me is the space where difference dissolves. When we come closer—emotionally, honestly—the unfamiliar loses its distance, and what remains is recognition. Through each painting, I attempt to cross that threshold again and again, focusing on what connects us rather than what separates us, allowing vulnerability to become a shared ground.
On How Art Shapes My Life
Art is not separate from my life; it is how I orient myself within it. Since adolescence, I have been engaged both locally and internationally, guided by a strong sense of social responsibility. Early volunteer work and activism shaped my awareness of global inequalities, particularly in relation to the Global South—an awareness that continues to inform my artistic and curatorial work.
Collaboration plays a central role in this. One of my deepest and longest artistic relationships is with the renowned Indian photographer Anjan Ghosh, built on mutual respect and a shared belief in art as encounter. In 2024, together with my husband, I founded the nonprofit organization Zaidi ya Mipaka e.V., uniting art, cultural exchange, and social engagement with a focus on Tanzania. What began with a visit to a school in 2017—where I was invited to photograph children for my paintings—has grown into a sustained commitment to connecting art, dignity, and care across borders.
On Hardship
I do not define myself by hardship, yet I do not deny it. In moments of personal crisis, painting has been my refuge—my place of stillness when the world became too loud. When words failed, painting held me. It offered grounding, quiet, and a way back to myself.
On the Best and the Most Difficult Moments
One of the most profound moments in my artistic life came during a time of deep personal rupture. After breaking ties with my family of birth, I experienced a mental breakdown that manifested in severe physical pain, leaving me unable to hold a brush for months. Art felt impossibly distant.
It was during this period—unexpectedly—that I received my first audience award, a first prize, in an exhibition alongside highly accomplished artists. The recognition arrived when I could not paint, yet it affirmed that my work was already alive in the world. It remains a defining moment of trust—in my voice, and in the quiet persistence of art beyond control.
Equally formative was a painful experience rooted in broken trust within a professional friendship. It taught me about boundaries, vulnerability, and the cost of generosity in competitive spaces. While difficult, it ultimately strengthened my clarity about collaboration: it must be rooted in mutual respect, presence, and honesty.
Looking Ahead
In a cultural landscape where academic credentials often determine visibility, I am deeply moved to have been nominated for the Erna-Suhrborg Prize and to be part of the juried exhibition connected to it. The prize will be awarded on International Women’s Day 2026 and honors female artists who have forged a professional path outside academic institutions—a recognition that resonates strongly with my own journey.
I am also preparing for an upcoming journey to India, where I will reunite with Anjan Ghosh. These encounters—grounded in trust and shared vision—will undoubtedly lead to new images, new references, and new stories waiting to unfold on canvas.
Website : https://www.seonasommer.de/
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/seona.sommer/#
