Sophia Abdulmalik

Interview by Maya Ash and Elly Dawson, Transcribed by Doris Abdolian

Grade

Mediums

2-D Art (painting, sketching, charcoal, printmaking, etc)

Classes Taken at Harriton

Art 9H & IB Visual Arts HL (2 years)

Self Introduction

Sophia Abdulmalik is a senior at Harriton involved with the art department through IB Visual Arts, the National Art Honor Society (NAHS), and Zenith. She enjoys drawing with colored pencils and particularly likes pieces related to the Black experience and culture. Besides creating art, Sophia enjoys reading, writing, going to the gym, listening to music, and hanging out with friends. She is also a huge art museum enthusiast.

Interview

S: I'm Sophia Abdulamlik. I transferred to Harriton from Lower Merion HS during my junior year for the International Bac program (IB). You have an elective choice in the IB program, and IB Visual Arts (IBVA) stood out to me. All of my artwork produced within the past years has been through IBVA. In the program, you must create a body of artwork that tells a unique story.

M: What kind of story are you trying to tell?

S: My chosen theme is the Black psyche. I have work depicting Black joy, struggle, and internal conflicts common with Black students and sharing different experiences.

M: What kinds of mediums do you like using?

S: I create a lot of my work using colored pencils. I like the control that the fine point gives me, allowing for precise hand movements.

E: Do you think you would ever experiment with other mediums?

S: Yeah! We are required in IB to go outside of our comfort bubble. I was only making 2-D pieces and had to make 3-D pieces. The experience of touching and feeling what I was making was enlightening. All my friends in that class also pushed me to experiment with painting.

E: Do you have a specific piece in mind to paint?

S: Yeah, I want to try painting on larger canvas areas. I would do a landscape.

E: Do you have any visual artists that inspire you?

S: I love Pediere Nelson and Peter Uka. They are both African or African-American artists, and they use a lot of colors. One of my favorite pieces is Vibe by Peter Uka.

M: How do you think your artistic sound/journey will evolve?

S: Hopefully, I could experiment with new materials and gain more experience while becoming more confident in my ability. I also want to do more structured experimentation. Workshops will let me better understand what it would be like working with the medium I choose to go into next.

M: Any advice for future art students or those who want to be creative?

S: There is this pressure when choosing classes, especially when you don't feel good enough to take them, but Harriton's art department teachers offer plenty of support. Also, in my IBVA class, everyone has their niche. I have friends who hate drawing and have never touched a pencil, but they are incredibly good at metal arts, which I could never make. So I think there is something for everyone.

E: Do you have a favorite music or artist you listen to while doing art?

S: I listen to Classical music when I draw, or I would listen to very hype Rap music.

E: What's your favorite high school memory?

S: My Art class was memorable, mainly because the class size was small and felt much more intimate. Art is a less structured class, so it was a classroom where I had deep conversations, especially with teachers.

E: Any highlights from your senior year?

S: Realizing how close I've gotten to some friends and knowing we are going our separate ways next year. But as a senior, some of our iconic moments are like prom and graduation, so I am excited about that.

E: What's your favorite place in the Philadelphia region?

S: I like South Street. There is lots of great food there, and artistically related, there is Graffiti Pier, which is nice.

M: Favorite food?

S: Mac and cheese.

M: Favorite drink/coffee/tea?

S: Hot chocolate.

M: Favorite chain restaurant/ fast food chain?

S: Olive garden, but right now, Cava.

M: Favorite Pizza Topping?

S: Mushrooms.

M: Favorite Animal?

S: Hedgehogs.