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Painting faces
Artist Sherri Urann creates individual stories through bold portraits
By Abigail Terry
Published on 01/14/2010
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Adding some color to the walls of one of Flagstaff’s newest downtown eateries, Criollo, are the vivid and personal portraits of Sherri Urann. This 23-year-old artist is making her debut in Flagstaff and sharing her distinctive perception of the human race with a local audience.
A native of Washington, Urann’s personal approach to portraits lends to an individualized style of painting. Urann says of her portraits, “They’re all based on where the subject is at and where I’m at in that moment in time.” Glancing around Criollo, you can see her eclectic style and personality in each piece.
When asked what really inspires her, Urann’s instantaneous response is people. “Sometimes I’ll be somewhere, see someone, and just want to draw them.” Through her art she strives to capture a moment in the subject’s life and portray the amazing energy that each person possesses.
In all of Urann’s paintings she includes “some element of a person.” Even if she’s drawing a tree, it’s a portrait of a tree. She speaks passionately about the interaction that people have with the environment around them and how she aims to depict that through her work.
Having a solo exhibition in downtown Flagstaff is a great accomplishment at any age, especially 23. Urann came across the opportunity on Craigslist, not being familiar with the space she would be filling. After being chosen to be featured, she was floored at how much wall space she was going to have to cover. Urann completed her show in two weeks, using pieces she already had, finishing incomplete pieces and creating a few new paintings from scratch. Urann says she feels incredibly grateful for being able to do as much as she has done for her age.
Urann attended Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., and graduated from the Broadcast and Arts department magna cum laude. While working within the guidelines dictated to her through assignments of still-life and color exercises, Urann was able to discover what it is she loves to do. Sneaking in portrait painting at night when all her other assignments were done, Urann realized her calling in portrait painting.
While in school, Urann took part in the Semester at Sea program, which inspired her to create “Speak no evil, Hear no evil, See no evil,” a three-part painting series.
“After experiencing 10 different versions of societal norms, you begin to see humanity stripped down to it’s core” says Urann.
Urann says she now sees the injustices of society as much more immediate. Two parts of the series are on display in Criollo: “All For Identity” and “Speak No Evil.” The series aims to illustrate how injustices will never be vindicated until people engage in dialogue about it.
Urann speaks enthusiastically about running an international children’s theater some day; incorporating artistic expression into the lives of children in third world countries. She dreams of creating a cross-cultural, multi-media arena for children, whose childhood is often cut short by having to survive in the real world.
Besides painting, documentary film is another medium that Urann hopes to use to illustrate the presence and impact of humans. Having gone to school for videography, film is a medium that Urann is familiar with. She says she would like her films to make the audience reflect, “What do I have that makes the world beautiful to me?” She hopes to inspire people to contribute to society on a deeper level.
And for the first time since she graduated, Urann plans on staying put for longer than three months and is excited and scared about what that means for her. For the past two years, she has been gallivanting around the United States. As Urann describes her travel bug, “Once I get in the rhythm of traveling, it’s difficult to stay put.”
Urann is excited to be a part of the Flagstaff community and is looking forward to “Plugging in and contributing.” In her time here in Flag, she encourages individuals to contact her if they would like to have their portraits done.
Check out the colorful portraits of Sherri Urann now on display at Criollo, 16 N. San Francisco, through the end of January. For more information, call 774-0541 or visit www.thesimplegoods.com.
Additional photos for this story:
"The Writer," by Sherri Urann.
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