Artist Biography 

Sara Salem was born in Baghdad, Iraq, during the 2003 US involvement. After living in both Iraq and Syria in her early years, she moved to Columbus, Ohio, in 2008 and currently resides there. Sara earned her associate’s degree from Columbus State Community College in 2024 and her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from Otterbein University in 2026. She is currently the Artist in Resident at Otterbein University. Sara has always been drawn to the creative arts. It was not until high school that she discovered her love for ceramics.

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As an emerging artist, Sara loves to experiment with different mediums like drawing, painting, and photography, but her heart will always find its way back to the humble clay. Sara lets her impulse and passion drive her work and thrives on showing human imperfections. She often explores themes of her personal experiences as a refugee, her cultural heritage, and the political climate revolving around her ethnicity.