Sarah El-Ali
Sarah El-Ali, born in 2001, grew up in South Florida. Sarah took an interest in art at a young age. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, she painted for others to express her love for them and experienced the gift of sharing her work with others. Painting became a way to express things about herself and that she otherwise could not capture or explain. She explores life to experience depth and awe, and seeks out ways to further her capability as both an artist and person in order to best . Since 2023, Sarah has been pursuing her career as a full time artist in order to impact herself and the world by building a body of work that challenges and inspires. She paints to create, enjoy, surprise, and explore, and believes that life is art that wants to be born.
Sarah grew up with a passion for art and creativity; it wasn't until 2024 that she rewrote her life path to pursue her career as an artist. She made the difficult decision to withdraw from college, where she left behind her high GPA and job offer in construction management, to pursue art full time.
Sarah was attending UF following a traditional education path like most of her peers. In 2023, despite fantastic grades and job opportunities lined up, it became clear that a traditional career would not produce the rewards, fulfillment, self expression, and happiness that Sarah desired. Against all “logic,” she decided to support her heart’s calling to pursue her dreams of being an artist.
As a newly initiated artist Sarah began exploring various modalities and creative opportunities - pushing her boundaries and painting a variety of subject matters. Building passion for life, discovering techniques etc, and appreciating the world has allowed her to develop range as an artist (use the little paper). She has worked on commissions, marine pieces, portraits, surfboards, live painting events, boudoir shoots, and still lifes to progress her abilities and vision. Her art is collected across several states. This year has been used to challenge herself as an artist and person, constantly seeking growth opportunities that will allow her artistic vision to flourish.
Her selected mediums include acrylic and oil paint on canvas, as well as unconventional canvases, such as surfboards. She utilizes techniques such as high contrast in color, wide ranges of subjects, and varying styles to build the framework for a piece of depth, significance, and dynamism.
Sarah uses pockets of the natural world to evoke inspiration, but also explores herself to connect the piece to her unique experience and flavor of expression. Often, her best pieces come from delving into what she feels and using the canvas to make the experience more potent, whether it be inspiring or melancholy. For Sarah, inspiration bubbles when hearing someone speak sincerely of a mentor, by seeing a marine videographer’s capture a profound moment, or by simply settling into the beauty of nature.
Because an artist shares a part of themselves with the world with each piece, it can often become a vulnerable experience, but also one of the most real and rewarding when the challenge is welcomed. Sarah’s next career steps include showcasing her work in a variety of art shows, establishing partnerships with local communities and other artists, and growing a community of people who are impacted by her work.
Sarah’s work is intended to bring life to a notion, feeling, or experience. Her work explores a variety of subjects, themes, and moments that exemplify the broad range of beauty and depth in the experience of life. Each piece captures a feeling that is intended to ground you in exploration and enjoyment.
