SOAD A KADER
I always want to be by the window. I love looking out - seeing and feeling different types of space, especially the change of perspective like looking down from a rooftop or from an airplane. The surprise, mystery, or wonder at what I am observing intrigues me, engages my curiosity. It isn’t important to know what it is I am looking at at. I enjoy that time in-between, the ambiguity and call to look more closely to delight in the details and abstract qualities of the moment. Noticing colors, textures, lines, shapes, character of light or movement allows me to linger in wonder. Being present with all my senses as I observe my surroundings connects me to our richly varied world more deeply. With layered acrylic inks and marks and textures made with pen, pencil, paper, textile, I explore changing points of view and varied perspectives to express that connection, pleasure and learning from the everyday experience of looking and seeing or listening and hearing anew.
I grew up with my Egyptian Muslim father and my Basque-Italian-American Catholic mother, first in Egypt, and then in California. The mix they created in coming together continues to inform my identity and influence my perspectives and explorations. Navigating the in-between of cultural, racial and religious identities as an eight year old newly arrived in the United States was challenging. I dreaded answering the commonly asked “What are you?” or even to my name at roll call. I wanted to belong. I thought maybe I could change my name to Susan so I could more easily fit in, but my parents said no. I am grateful. Being proud of my multi-mixed heritage identity and experiences and being comfortable with navigating the in-between gives me confidence to stand in full color with all my identities and share my unique vantage point and continued hunger for varied perspectives and deeper understanding.
Welcome to StudioSoad!Come find your art crush... or I can create one for you. Schedule a studio visit to see current work or to discuss a potential commission. I look forward to it!
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2021 SPARCX, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2021 BASL, Voss Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2020 FourSquared, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2020 Women Rising, The Drawing Room, San Francisco, CA
2019 Inner Worlds, China Basin, San Francisco, CA
2019 Time, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2019 Movers & Shakers, The Drawing Room, San Francisco, CA
2018 Art & Activism: Drawing the Line, Children's Museum of the Arts, New York, NY
2018 Diptychs, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2018 The Excitement of Suggestion, China Basin, San Francisco, CA
2018 ka'POW!, Heroic Women, Pacific Pinball Museum, Alameda, CA
2017 With Liberty and Justice for Some, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA
2017 Resistance, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2017 Sanctuary City: With Liberty and Justice for Some, San Francisco Arts Commission Main Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2017 With Liberty and Justice for Some, Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2016 Identity Arc Gallery, San Francisco & Of Light & Color, PRF 711, San Francisco CA
2015 Artifacts, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA & Resolution, by ArtSpan Arc Gallery, San Francisco ,CA
2014 Periphery, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA & Salt Water Cures, Castro Wellness, SF, CA
2013 The Third Mind, Big Umbrella Studios, San Francisco, CA
2013 Memento, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012 Bs.As. SF, two cities, one spirit?, Misho Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012 Golden Gate, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2011 SoMa Artists at ArtHaus, San Francisco, CA
2011 San Francisco Summer, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2011 Secession Art and Design, San Francisco, CA
2010 Pairs, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2010 Ritual, Cara and Cabezas Contemporary, Kansas City, MO
2010 Be Present: Connect, Mamá Art Cafe, San Francisco, CA
2009 Artmeznick, San Francisco, CA
2009 el abrazo, TangoVida, San Francisco, CA
2008 The Funny of (Latin) Dance, Bill Santiago, The Marsh, San Francisco, CA
2007 Sundance Café, San Francisco, CA & Cock-A-Doodle Café, Oakland, CA
2006 Forty by Forty, Space Q-5, Pier 39, San Francisco, CA
2006 mi familia fv, Fundación Valparaiso, Mojacar, Spain
2004 Art Walk, Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA
2003 Dreams of Resistance, Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, SF, CA
2002 (annually to present), SF Open Studios Exhibition, SomArts Gallery, SF, CA
EDUCATION
BA, Art Studio, magna cum laude, University of California, Davis
Faculty:
Wayne Thiebaud, Manuel Neri, Roland Peterson, Roy De Forest, Mike Henderson, David Hollowell, Cornelia Schulz, Lucy Puls and Squeak Carnwath
GRANTS and RESIDENCIES
Fundación Valparaíso
Mojácar, Spain
COLLECTORS
Argentina, Egypt, France, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Spain, South Africa, Thailand, United States, Venezuela