Sweet America

My name is Arie Asem and I’m a senior studying at Stony Brook University. I started my college taking pre-med courses until I took an art class which opened my eyes and showed me the impact art has on society and how it can bring about conversations which are both beautiful and important for society. Through my years of studying I’ve discovered a passion for graphic design and minimalism normally working on wooden board with acrylic or gouache. My art focuses on the landscapes and nature of countries and how these areas are interwoven into the culture makeup of their history.

My first body of art called – Sweet America inspired by the song America the Beautiful by Ray Charles are a series of mixed media wood and acrylic paintings celebrating the natural beauty of the various regions within the United States. Growing up in Canada and moving here during my teenage years I had to learn about a new culture and history, my pieces focus on the unity within the borders of this country where each state is like its own country and proper identity all interwoven together by an invisible thread which connects the United States together. The cubes in the pieces are meant to show the pixilation which occurs when looking at agriculture fields from above where technology allows modern day users to explore the regions of a place without travelling. The brightly colored pieces missing from the landscape is meant to show the strength of unity where when one piece is missing from the landscape then that invisible thread which connects everyone becomes fragile, the strength of country is of its acceptance and unity from coast to coast, my pieces are meant to celebrate the natural landscapes of the various regions of the United States.