Meet Noor Adwan | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Noor Adwan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Noor, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It was almost accidental. I joined Instagram almost a decade ago when I was 12. It wasn’t my initial intention to start a business; I just wanted to share my art with the world. But my content sort of exploded, and I ended up gaining about 100,000 followers in just a couple of weeks. I decided that was a sign to try using my platform to make a living, so I’ve been offering a wide variety of commissions and originals online for about that same amount of time. It was a very weird and uniquely 21st century experience ― blowing up online as a preteen ― but I’m glad it happened and glad I seized the opportunity to keep cultivating my online presence in order to make a living.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Something unique I’ve been incorporating into my practice frequently lately is giving new life to broken or abandoned objects. I’m a regular at my local thrift stores, and always looking out for fun new substrates to paint on. I’ve painted on an old tube TV, broken glass, scratched records from the trash, COVID-19 tests and various instruments. That wasn’t always my thing ― I used to paint on more traditional surfaces like canvas but I found it a little dull. There’s something extra rewarding about taking something that used to be trash and bringing it to life again in your hands.

The way I got to where I am today was simply staying consistent with my practice. A lot happens between the ages of 12-22, and it was hard to prioritize creation when I was prepping for college, for example, or working on my undergraduate thesis, or juggling a handful of internships. But I always came back to it, and always made it a priority. I never turned that burner off completely, even when I really wanted to. So I think sticking with it through it while life threw various challenges my way was the most important thing I did for myself as an artist, both professionally and spiritually.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’ve been here less than a year ― we moved in September ― but I definitely have a handful of favorite spots. I love taking people to my home studio, The Colony. It’s a communal studio downtown and both the space and the people that occupy it have been a gift to have over the last few months I’ve been working as an artist full-time. My favorite spots to eat or drink are probably Front Range barbeque, Cucuru or Carnelian Coffee in OCC, or Adam’s Mountain Cafe in Manitou. And a trip here wouldn’t be complete without spending some time outside: walking around Garden of the Gods is an obvious choice, but if you want to go a little further out of town Mueller and Cheyenne Mountain state parks are a great time, too.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate this shoutout to my partner and my mom. To my mom for being ridiculously supportive my art goals since the beginning of time, and my partner for encouraging me to start and supporting me through a gap year where I’m trying to work as an artist full-time.

Website: nooradwan.com

Instagram: instagram.com/artsypeach

Image Credits
Courtesy of Noor Adwan