Nela Solomon was born into a rural, middle-income family in Shiraz, Iran. She grew up in a creatively liberated environment where her parents encouraged her artistic talent by providing her with art materials at a young age. With these tools, Solomon spent much of her youth sketching. At 21, Solomon moved to Vienna, Austria, for two years, where she was exhilarated by the city and profoundly influenced by its artistic heritage. A drive for financial security – coupled with a newfound love of travel – prompted Solomon to immigrate to the United States in 1996, where she studied science at Pierce College in Los Angeles, California. To keep in touch with art, Solomon worked as an apprentice to the artist Emanuel. Impressed by Solomon's talent, Emanuel soon let Solomon work solely on her own art. Solomon was primarily drawn to paint the broad and vibrant abstracts of her tutor. Not forsaking her rural and liberated upbringing, however, Solomon began to paint bold, vast, and vibrant spaces that are as much about nature as they are about abstraction. Solomon now works full-time from her own studio. She has exhibited in New York City and in southern California.
