Vian Sora: Outerworlds

Vian Sora's abstract paintings channel the chaos of war, displacement, and Iraq's landscapes through densely layered oil and acrylic.

Why go

This is Sora's first U.S. museum solo, presenting work that transforms personal trauma—lived through the Iran-Iraq War, Gulf War, 2003 invasion, and eventual resettlement—into visceral abstraction. Her canvases accumulate up to fifty layers of splashed, poured, and sprayed pigment, creating visual metaphors for both biological cycles and historical

What to expect

Large-scale abstract paintings built from radiant, clashing pigments applied in controlled chaos—oil and acrylic layered densely to evoke both natural growth and the turbulent history of Iraq and displacement.

Things to know

• Born in Baghdad; first solo exhibition in Iraq in 2001.
• Lived through Iran-Iraq War, Gulf War, 2003 invasion, and subsequent Insurgency.
• Sought refugee status in UAE before resettling in Louisville, Kentucky.
• Since 2016, uses abstraction to process trauma and lived experience.
• Paintings feature up to fifty layers of oil and acrylic paint per work.
• Exhibition at Santa Barbara Museum of Art, June 22–September 7, 2025.