Vian Sora, Dilmun, 2022. Oil and mixed media on canvas. SBMA, Museum purchase with funds provided by the General Art Acquisition Fund. Right: Vian Sora
SANTA BARBARA — June 22 through Sept. 7 — The Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present “Vian Sora: Outerworlds” on view June 22 – Sept. 7, 2025.
The Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) is pleased to announceVian Sora: Outerworlds, a multi-venue mid-career survey of internationally renowned abstract painter Vian Sora (b. 1976, Baghdad). Organized jointly by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art; Asia Society Texas, Houston; and Speed Art Museum, Louisville, this exhibition will assemble approximately 20 of Sora’s major works, charting her growth as an artist over a period of seven years (2016–2023).
Outerworlds is Sora’s first solo museum exhibition in the United States and will tell the story of how her multivalent paintings abstractly channel the tumultuous events of her life, ancient Mesopotamian history, and Iraq’s diverse natural landscapes, including its deserts, rivers, and archeological sites. Vian Sora: Outerworlds will debut at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art on June 22, 2025 before traveling to the Speed Art Museum and Asia Society Texas.
Exhibition venues and dates:
Santa Barbara Museum of Art June 22 – September 7, 2025
Speed Art Museum October 10, 2025 – January 18, 2026
Asia Society Texas April 2 – July 5, 2026
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION