We recently connected with Sima Schloss and have shared our conversation below.

Sima, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I’ve done was an installation for The Eyes Have It at Lehman College Art Gallery. This show was special for many reasons. Lehman is where I earned my MFA in painting—an experience that shaped my life and career. I had a professor who became a mentor and formed lasting friendships during my time there.

The Eyes Have It was my first installation, making it even more meaningful to debut at a place so close to my heart. The theme—exploring the human gaze and the judgments we place on others and ourselves—deeply resonated with my work, which centers on people and the emotional power of the eyes. The process was incredible: I collaborated with one of my best friends (whom I met at Lehman), and the show included fellow MFA graduates and one of my art heroes, Francesco Clemente.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a gestural figurative artist focused more on the internal than the external. I start with the figure, then build layers—like the assemblage style in my visual journals. My drawings take on a life of their own as I treat the figure as abstraction rather than portrait. This approach lets me create imagined beings that reflect emotions, experiences, and shared moments, rather than reproducing a specific person.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I didn’t start taking my art career seriously until about 12 years ago. At the time, I was teaching part-time and doing freelance event work. During one event, I pulled out my sketchbook during a quiet moment. Someone came over and said, “It’s time to work, please put your little scrapbook away.” Something in me snapped. I knew then that if I didn’t commit to my art, I’d regret it for the rest of my life. Rejection, I could handle—regret, I couldn’t.

I didn’t know where to start, but I was reading New Media for Artists by Brainard Carey, which opened my eyes to new ways of promoting art. Facebook had just launched, and that book became my guide. I began posting daily and applying to every artist opportunity I could find. For six months, I faced only rejections—but I kept going.

Eventually, I was accepted into a show in Virginia. That gave me the confidence to apply for an MFA, something I’d always considered but never pursued. I got in, and that moment at the event became the turning point that changed everything.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of being an artist is the creative process itself. It’s a roller coaster of emotions—exciting, frustrating, exhausting, and deeply fulfilling. There are moments of doubt, when nothing feels right, and then moments of pure flow, when everything just clicks. It’s in that push and pull where growth happens. I love the challenge of problem-solving through materials, form, and meaning. Each piece teaches me something new about myself and how I see the world. Even when it’s hard, I wouldn’t trade a second of it. Creating is how I make sense of things—it’s where I feel most alive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.simaschloss.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simzee
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sima.schloss
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sima-schloss-6ba50744/

Image Credits

Lizzy Alejandro
Charli Anderson
Ania Fedisz