Shirin, K, Yamolky is a self taught artist based in the foothills of Alberta. Shirin is originally from North of Iraq. Shirin and her family fled their home in Sulaymaniyah, a city north of Iraq in 1993 due to Saddam Hussein using chemical weapons against the Kurdish people. Shirin’s love of art began when she was about five years old. Shirin remembers watching one of her older sisters ‘Askin’ sketching the ancient Greek sculptures with charcoal. Shirin was in awe of her sister’s talent. One of her most favourites that she remembers her sister Askin sketching, was The Sculpture of ‘Venus De Milo’.
As a teenager, Shirin came from Kurdistan to Canada in 1995 with her family fleeing the threat of chemical attacks from Saddam Hussein.
Shirin is the second youngest in her family of 11 kids. With seven sisters and three brothers. Sadly one of her brothers past away at a very young age due to medical conditions.
December, 1999, after living with her family in Vancouver for a few years, Shirin decided to move to Calgary with only $20 dollars in her pocket. Shirin often visits her family in BC during the summer months. But, Alberta is where she calls home.
Shirin paints using a variety of mediums, her favorite being oil, she enjoy painting the Canadian landscape but mostly loves painting wildlife.
Shirin has a unique style of painting. She loves negative space in her artwork. She often keeps the background a blank canvas or a splash of simple colours to make her subject the main focal point in her paintings.
Shirin has her artwork featured in local art galleries.
Due to her busy schedule she is not accepting commissions at this time.
First Row Left to Right youngest to oldest
Lena, Me, Amin, Nasrin, Roxanne, Lausanne, Viyan,
Second Row Left to Right
Dallan, cousin Amin, Askin, Daddy Kamal, Mama Shafica, Fairuz
Our oldest sister Fairuz took the picture
My youngest sister Lena and me ❤️