Rebecca Koury

Biography

Rebecca Koury’s extensive travels throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Southeast Asia have exposed her to many cultures and diverse forms of art. This exposure has inevitably led to a fascination with other cultures, both ancient and contemporary. Koury’s artwork aims to blend the influences of both ancient and current cultures. She loves the process of discovering how her own life intersects with and is a part of these cultural influences. She asserts that we, as human beings, are not separate from each other or the earth we inhabit. And no matter what culture or era we are living in, Koury believes we can find parallels and similarities that weave us together with our worlds. Rich layers of color and textured surfaces based on patterns from nature, fabrics, ancient ruins, written language and symbols are integral parts of Koury’s painting vocabulary. Her intention is to “presence” the common thread that weaves through all of life. To inspire the viewer and spark a "remembering" or a "familiarity", whatever that is for them. Koury’s rich, layered collages are hand-crafted with imported papers (mostly hand-stained), metal leaf, acrylic paints, stains, glazes, varnishes, oils, pastels and graphite. She works primarily on canvas, and occasionally on paper. Her fascination with texture and passion for collage stems from her highly sculptural background. Even as a child Koury was always rearranging and organizing her room, creating collages on the walls, and collecting unusual and beautiful objects, such as rocks, shells, boxes, bits of exotic fabric, ribbons and trims. Childhood for Koury was a time of intense impressions and experiences that deeply affected her creative life - early travels throughout the Southwest, Mexico and Canada; poring over art books, Titian in particular, and being brought to tears by the exquisite beauty of the paintings; visiting art museums as a teenager and finding lifelong inspiration from conceptual and installation art. Koury received a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture and a Minor in Art History from the University of Texas in Austin.