Urban Canvas of Portland

• Soulaimen Aboubacar is a Tunisian artist known for blending intimate human portraits with dynamic urban landscapes to explore the intersection of humanity and technology. Recognized early for his talent, including winning a national competition at 14 and featuring on a Tunisian stamp, Soulaimen gained international attention in 2024 when his work was exhibited at Artiade – The Olympics of Art in New York. His art invites viewers to reflect on what it means to be human in a tech-driven world, emphasizing how technology can amplify the human spirit rather than replace it.

• Joy Kloman is an accomplished artist and educator based in Hood River, Oregon. She earned her MFA from the University of Florida and her BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute. Previously a tenured associate professor at the University of Mississippi, she supervised graduate and undergraduate painting programs and taught drawing in London. Joy’s work, inspired by her international residencies and experiences, has been featured in nationally juried exhibitions and is included in public and private collections worldwide. She currently creates and teaches at Joy’s Art Studio.

Together, these artists create a compelling duality—the digital pulse and the organic whisper, the electric night and the folded morning. Urban Canvas of Portland asks: as our cities evolve, how do we remain human? Where do we find sanctuary? And how can we design futures that honor both innovation and introspection?

Also check out other Arts events in Portland, Fine Arts events in Portland, Contests in Portland.