Many of Arastu’s paintings, drawings and sculptures are centered around the concept of lines—following an inner rhythm, forming figural compositions and at other times abstract formations. Her exposure to Arabic Calligraphy during a stay in the Middle East, encouraged a more lyrical and melodious approach to her work, often using the same strokes of the brush for Arabic letters as for human forms.  Her paintings are visually flowing, spiraling  through space in hushed and deep tones in a synthesis of contour, color and space.

Arastu’s work is created through an ongoing process of introspection that involves action and reaction to a variety of materials.  Her method is physical and meditative in a process that fills each canvas with moving lines and multi-layered textures. “For me creating art means getting physically involved with the piece; scratching, sanding, and layering, adding details in pen and ink or materials like paper, rope, modeling paste, paper Mache or copper plate can all be used to create relief paintings that incorporate my cultural viewpoint to interpret contemporary political, social and spiritual issues.”

Read an NPR interview of Salma Aratsu here!