Name
Samaya Glazier-Bae

Age Group (If you are a caregiver/family member please check Caregiver/Family Member)
Children: 12 and under

Artist Statement (include type of art, techniques & materials used, what it means to you)
Fearless by Samaya Glazier-Bae
Watercolor, Watercolor Marker and Acrylic Paint Accents on Watercolor Paper
12x18 inches

My name is Samaya, and I am a survivor of craniopharyngioma. I was diagnosed at 8 years old and am now 10. Art is my passion. Right around the time I was diagnosed, I had almost lost my full vision. My art suffered during that time. After my two surgeries, I regained my sight and my “Art Spirit”.

This painting symbolizes strength and power. The lion is the most powerful animal in the wild. The woman is face to face with the lion, fearless. My favorite part of this painting is the color and brightness. These colors bring out the character of who they are.

The technique I used was “wet on wet” with watercolor paint. I apply water to the paper and then I put water in the paint and it makes a very liquid texture w paint. I blot it on and it bleeds but have to be careful it doesn’t become muddy. So, I do very small amounts of paint/ water at a time. Wet on wet creates a flowing, dream-like effect.

This is my second year with Art of Surviving. I am grateful to be a part of it again this year.


Bio (include your age, tumor type and date of diagnosis)
Samaya is a young passionate artist based in Brooklyn, New York. She was diagnosed with Craniopharyngioma in October of 2019 when she was eight years old. Close to diagnosis she had very little energy, could barely eat and was legally blind. She and her parents met a lot of dead ends until finally she was sent the emergency room to get a CTscan. Her world drastically changed from that moment forward. After two successful surgeries and treatment, she has regained her sight and her self proclaimed, “Art Spirit”. That said, she has many challenges similar to other cranios like; HO, energy ups and down, mood ups and downs, growth challenges and more. Her art has been a continued passion and anchor for her in her life.

She became an art lover at an early age and showed the propensity of a true artist by being able to sit for long periods of time creating, especially for a toddler. She would give her mom "art lessons" and it was clear this three year old had much more natural talent than her family who was much older. When she was both 6 and 7 years old, her artwork was admitted into the Greater NYC and Brooklyn Art Contest at Brooklyn Children's Museum.

As Samaya and her work has matured, she tends to gravitate toward portraits of people and animals. She has an uncanny ability to replicate masterful artwork by eye. But most of all she loves to create her own art which is expressive with color and often poignant. Bright colors are her favorite.

In 2021, her work was admitted into the Raymond Wood Foundation Art Contest. Samaya came in 1st and 2nd place for the People's Choice Award and won the top category for her age group. It was so empowering for her to show her art.

It is Samaya’s wish to pursue a creative life in Visual Arts. While her path has not been easy, art has helped to light her way. May her work bring some hope and color into your day. She is grateful to Creatively Wild and her primary teacher Sally Novak for teaching her and instilling in her confidence and love of the craft.

Since she isn't ready to part with her original art pieces (yet), she has a website where fans of her art can purchase prints and/ or request a commission specific for them. All of the funds from contests and from her site have gone into her college fund where she hopes to go to a great Visual Arts school!
artbysamaya.com
@art.by.samaya
(instagram)