Vian Sora : House of Pearls

The Third Line is pleased to announce House of Pearls, our first solo exhibition with US-based, Iraqi American artist Vian Sora. The exhibition presents new paintings and works on paper that explore pearls as a metaphor for achieving stability and the needed structural integrity for life itself to regenerate.

In this new body of work, Sora – an Iraqi-born artist who sought refuge in Dubai following the US invasion of Iraq – explores the fundamental elements of caustic cycles:  the solid and fluid violent states intrinsic to nature from which pearls grow, and examines connectivity as an essential element to humanity's collective consciousness. Drawing on her experiences as a war survivor and immigrant, Sora reflects on the uncertainty and shifting boundaries of existence, capturing the physical, mental, and emotional toll experienced across nations, cultures, and time. Her paintings reveal the complex nature of identity and seek cohesion like the iridescent layers of a natural pearl.

Sora's technique begins with canvases laid flat, mirroring the landscapes she has traversed, before transitioning them upright to assert control. Starting with a minimal palette of three colours, she gradually introduces up to 20 hues through meticulous layering, with each piece featuring up to 50 layers of colours and texture. This process balances spontaneity with precision, capturing the tension between disorder and control in her work. 

Through this layered process, Sora depicts imagined landscapes and ocean scenes marked with distorted Arabic calligraphy and vivid colours, evoking a pearl-like luminosity. Her work captures the vulnerability and courage of displaced individuals, portraying personal and collective traumas and ongoing struggles. By using multiple layers of paint, Sora captures explosive intensity and deep psychological states. Her abstract figures emerge from chaos, revealing inherent beauty. 

“Part of the challenge and intrigue for me is how my intentions start somewhere and it goes somewhere else, then I bring them back to the intention. The discovery and the accident are even more interesting for me than the intention. You dive deep into the subconscious in a way that is impossible to replicate through illustration.” - Vian Sora