From Fashion to Art: Meet Portrait Pop Artist Sasha Rosen

By Al Gord

Sasha Rosen was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. She has always enjoyed the arts in their various formats. One of Sasha’s great childhood memories and something which she is incredibly fortunate to have experienced is that of listening to her mom, a pianist, play the piano on a daily basis. Sasha’s journey to becoming an artist took a unique path; one that was still connected to the world of art. She went to college to study fashion management which allowed her to work on the corporate side of the fashion industry. During this time she dabbled as a fashion scout and organized fashion charity shows, all the while working as a court house reporter. After a decade in both the fashion sector and the law field, Sasha transitioned into sales in the burgeoning Canadian cannabis industry in 2017. The one common focus for her throughout the 13 years was her work as a photographer in the fashion world.

She has always been creative and the arts were something Sasha always enjoyed. It truly was her passion. From a young age she sang, she received formal training in piano, she practiced different types of visual arts and she enjoyed photography. Upon entering college she gave up formal piano training at the age of 19, but her love of the piano and the arts had not faded. Photography was her next major focus and it played a big role in her life. As with many artists, Sasha wanted to explore and try something new. That is where she began to focus on and see herself as a painter. Initially she started creating paintings from the photos she had taken. Self-taught she experimented stylistically with different types of portrait painting. While she was searching for “her style” others saw the paintings Sasha created for herself, for her own enjoyment; and urged her to put her energy and focus into full time painting. Once the recent pandemic hit, impacting her career in the cannabis industry, Sasha made the decision to focus on painting full time.

A self-acknowledged insomniac, Sasha paints in her kitchen studio while most of the world sleeps. As her artistic inspirations peek very late in the day, she creates in the early hours, usually from midnight until five in the morning. While for many this is the time to recharge, for Sasha it is a time to find a sense of peace. She recognizes the importance of listening to her creative energy and keeping her mind in a positive and calm state. Painting and creating during this time provides Sasha with the tranquility she craves.

When viewing Sasha’s current work it is best described as abstract portraiture pop art. She has always liked more muted effects in her paintings, blacks, whites and greys combined with more subdued colour tones. However, more recent works have seen Sasha transition to the use of brighter pigments, layered in to create a textured abstract feel to her paintings. The depth in her paintings comes from the use of a wide variety of tools. Be it traditional instruments such as paint brushes and palette knives, to everyday household objects like tooth brushes and q-tips, Sasha enjoys experimenting with various objects and implements to create one of a kind paintings.

Sasha is drawn to painting rock stars and sensual pieces. For her the appeal of creating rock artists is their iconic standing. Her love of music, fostered from a young age as well as being a trained musician is a key inspiration in this regards. She recognizes that everyone has a song that reminds them of a moment or an experience. It is this powerful connection; the way music speaks to people in the same manner that paintings speak to people, that makes painting rock stars personally relevant to Sasha. Just as appealing to Sasha is the creation of sensual works, especially women. She believes that there is something very beautiful about the human body and the softness of the feminine features.

While Sasha’s focus in sensuality and rock music, she is inspired by life as well. It is these significant moments that clients share with Sasha that act as inspiration for many of her commissions. People provide Sasha with a photo to re-imagine in her unique style and to create a lasting memory, a narrative of a person’s life. In one example, she created a painting as a memorial for a client who had recently lost her father, with Sasha drawing on her own strong relationship with her dad who has always been supportive of her endeavours, for inspiration. In another painting produced for a drag queen, it symbolized and recognized all of his experiences as a gay man in a society that is still very judgmental.

For Sasha painting is more than just a passion, it is also a means to deal with her depression and trauma. Even from a young age she used art to help deal with her sadness. Now, she views painting as an outlet to keep her in a positive mindset, but also a platform to support others with their challenges and pain. Her works can be seen on her webpage and on Instagram.

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