Exploring Reflection and Connection: The Art of Samara Couri
From London and now rooted in Hawaii, artist Samara Couri channels the rich tapestry of Hawaiian culture, history, and philosophy into her evocative body of work. Her practice centers around the interplay of oil painting and mirrors, transforming traditional canvases into immersive three-dimensional installations that challenge perceptions and invite introspection.
Couri’s unique approach uses mirrors that face and reflect one another, creating dynamic pieces where stillness gives rise to emotional movement. This immersive interplay draws viewers into the artwork, compelling them to confront their reflections—both literal and metaphorical. Whether revealing hidden emotions, sparking joy, or unearthing discomfort, Couri’s installations act as psychological hallways of self-discovery, laying bare the complexities of the human experience.
Her lifelong passion for painting, sparked in childhood and honed through years of study and exploration, is imbued with a cinematic sensibility. Inspired by the immersive storytelling of film, Couri brings this dimensionality to her art, crafting pieces that connect with viewers on deeply personal levels. By incorporating mirrors, she blurs the line between observer and participant, transforming her paintings into interactive spaces of reflection and connection.
Q & A conducted by Sophia Juan
Could you tell us about the people featured in your mirror paintings?
A lot of the people in my work become a certain subject matter in the paintings. Usually there is something that strikes me from their look, the energy I get from them, a particular look at that moment that I wish to capture. I have a theme in mind, and, very much like my inspiration of film, it is like choosing people to become that role in the story or situation.
Some of them I know, some are from people watching, some are people that I would ask to model for me or get a quick sketch to then take home and paint from. Currently, as I live in Hawaii, I am more focused on painting the Hawaiian people. The subject matter here, for me, is more focused, as there is a direct link from them to their land, holding on to their identities, because of the history that is still being lived.
What was the process like creating your mirror paintings?
I knew that I wanted to continue using oil paints, and it actually worked really nicely with the mirrors. I enjoy the juxtaposition of it. Usually, I use a minimum of two mirror paintings to make a piece to be able to have that reflection from each other. After I paint them, I situate them at certain angles to have them face each other to make it complete. Sometimes it will evolve and I add more mirror paintings to that one piece, becoming either a cube or a wheel of mirrors. It does tend to take on a life of its own and that’s something that I never get tired of. In terms of who I choose to have face one another, I take a look at their expression, their angle, the look in their eyes and see which one connects best with the other and so forth.
Did you have moments of challenges when creating your pieces? How did you navigate through it?
The main challenges that I have with my work, is the final output, how to install them. Sometimes, depending on where I am exhibiting the work, it is not always possible to install them the way I’d ideally like them to be which usually would be having them suspended from the ceiling, so to have that space between for people to move around and through them. So I have to adjust and install it in a different manner, whilst still preserving the concept as much as I can.
What do you hope viewers walk away with from viewing/experiencing your work?
I hope they would be able to connect in their own way between them and the pieces, to be able to feel that they can trust that space that is between the mirror paintings. I hope also, depending on the subject of the piece, that they can leave feeling they have gained some special connection to what is being represented.
I also hope they have fun with being able to immerse themselves in it, by looking at them at different angles and perspectives and see how that may change the way they feel or look at it.
You’ve described your mirror pieces as a way to explore deep interconnectedness with others. Could you elaborate on how that idea shaped your work?
Oh, that shaped it in every way, it shaped it to what it is and how I got to working with the mirrors. Just as I had mentioned regarding the influence of films, it gave my work a whole other dimension to it. A lot of the times, when people are viewing my work, they often open up in a very personal way, it was a little unexpected but a beautiful surprise each time.
I saw the power of the reflection, the power of creating the connections between the mirror paintings and viewers, how it reveals a lot more than what was initially there.
What upcoming projects are you most excited about?
Currently, I am looking into and learning more about the Goddesses and Gods of Hawai’i, this is my current project which I find to be of great responsibility, as they are extremely important figures to the island and most revered. I am loving every bit of it, and can’t wait to have them put together in my work.
