Aleah Koury

Aleah Koury was born in Bellingham, Washington and raised in Independence, Missouri. He started his studies as a biology major at the University of Missouri, and needed a fine arts class to fulfill a requirement to complete his degree, so he chose a painting class. When the class was completed, Koury asked his professor if she believed he had the talent to make it as an artist if he were to change his major. Despite her negative response, he changed his major to ceramics, utilizing his scientific training to work within a creative three-dimensional medium. After graduating with a BA in Ceramics he went on to receive an MFA in Printmaking from the University of Southern Illinois.

Since 1978, Koury has been showing in galleries and exhibitions nationwide. Currently, pastel drawings form a large part of the body of his work, and his style and approach are particularly unique. Using a combination of ground pastels as well as sticks, his drawings take on the appearance of paintings. Layers of color are combined with subtle detail.

Occasionally, as in his abstract and floral pieces, he has incorporated metallic leafing within the layers of color. Yet, as he explains, technique is not his main concern. “The most important element of my work is choice of subject matter,” says Koury, “I am currently focused on drawing on scenes in nature. Recapturing the natural drama I’ve experienced and translating that emotion into a personal statement is my artistic objective. By ‘recapturing’ I mean creatively interpreting formal elements of landscape. This I achieve with color, its placement, color combinations and juxtapositions which together create the dramatic/emotional impact between myself, the artist and my surroundings.”

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