Local Visual Artist Brings Unique Styles to the Arts Scene
Hira Noor is a familiar face for you if you have attended any of the open house events hosted by Markaz ul Islam, the Islamic Centre of Fort McMurray. She’s one of the Calligraphy artists, who writes your name beautifully in Arabic. A local visual artist – Hira’s unique style features knife and pebble art with vibrant colours, which is why she aptly names her studio Hues by Hira.
Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, Hira moved from the United Arab Emirates to Montreal in 2007 and came to Fort McMurray in 2012. She is an educational assistant for the Fort McMurray Public School Division, and works with special needs students at Dave McNeilly Public School.
When it comes to her art, Hira (pronounced Hir-ra) derives inspiration from a variety of sources. She explains more.
“My pebble artwork is inspired by all the amazing kids I work with. I can relate my pieces with the uniqueness of every child, their different personalities, backgrounds and most importantly their unconditional love. I use natural materials in 3D art style. I portray the feelings, nature, animals and families on a wooden plate and frames. I try to use bold colours to make them catchy and full of emotions – bringing immediate smiles to those looking at or holding my work. Most of my knife paintings are impressionism-styled as they are mostly landscapes with noticeable effects of light, fine and bold strokes.”
When it comes to Calligraphy, she traces that love back to her homeland.
“I grew up admiring Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi’s Calligraphy. He was a Pakistani artist, best known for his skills as a calligrapher and a painter. He is considered one of the finest painters and calligraphers Pakistan has ever produced. Also Jackson Pollock’s work is flawless and never fails to amaze me. In addition, Saleha Contractor, a Toronto-based artist inspires me. She creates bold Islamic art for the modern Muslim home. Every piece she makes is inspired by a lesson, virtue or teaching rooted in Islamic history.”
Hues by Hira was launched in 2018. As a full-time working mom of four, she finds art is her “best friend and works like wonders for my mental health.” Thus far she has completed over 60 pieces.
Jason Furgala, Reliability Coordinator with Syncrude Canada first saw Hira’s work exhibited at the Wood Buffalo Regional Library and immediately bought four pieces.
“I was attracted to the depth and vibrancy of the colours. Each one of the paintings captured the mood of what she had painted. I felt they were accurate depictions and each one made me feel like I could walk in to them and experience the temperatures of that scene - for example the fall colours were warm. I also felt there was enough depth that I could even smell what was in the picture if I tried hard enough. I also found her very personable and friendly to deal with. I would easily buy more of her work.”
Kayla Park agrees. She received one of Hira’s pieces as a gift.
“It was a pebble art painting with foxes to represent the school mascot where I work. I really appreciated the fine details in her work and I loved that it was personalized to something so meaningful to me. Hira is a talented artist and her work is thoughtful and unique.”
Unique, vibrant, and diverse – Hira and Hues by Hira happen to be a beautiful addition to the local arts scene.
You can follow her on Instagram and like her on Facebook: hues_by_hira. For queries, email: huesbyhira@gmail.com.
