Tamara Isaak-Harrington has traveled the world and found connection through her art in Savannah

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Credit: Courtesy of the artist

Credit: Courtesy of the artist

"The Approach to Al-Mu’tasim" by Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges follows the journey of a Bombay law student engaged in a life-altering journey to find “the perfect man.” In the story, the main character undergoes a profound personality change as he encounters various eclectic characters and locations, ultimately learning that it’s not the life you’re born into or some unattainable external ideal that defines a person, but, rather, the sum of your life experiences.

The story had a profound impact on artist Tamara Isaak-Harrington, the adopted daughter of an airman, and someone who hasn’t seen her hometown of Zlatoust, Russia since she was a baby.

“When people are like, ‘Where are you from?’ I’m like, ‘I’m from all over the place, really,’” she said.

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Credit: Courtesy of the artist

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Credit: Courtesy of the artist

Due to her father’s occupation, Isaak-Harrison’s 25 years of living have included stops in Alaska, Texas, New York and Miami in the United States, as well as Brazil and Iceland abroad.

“I would immerse myself and be like, ‘Okay, cool, I’m going to gain every single experience that I can,’ she explained. “And I think that there is a sense of me trying to figure out who I am in a way.

“I struggled with social interactions at times. Like I was always just kind of awkward and stuff. I really gravitated towards art from a young age.”

Different places created different artistic connections for the young artist. She recalled the beauty of the many murals she saw during her years living in Rio de Janeiro, and the natural wonders of her time in Iceland, where she felt like she could almost touch the sky “it was so close to the atmosphere.”

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Credit: Courtesy of the artist

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Credit: Courtesy of the artist

“When it comes to influence from different cultures, I think it’s just like being able to think of a memory back in the past, from maybe observing a certain environment [or] scene,” said Isaak-Harrington.

Scrolling through her Instagram feed or perusing her website, there’s a palpable joy that permeates Isaak-Harrington’s work. Her pieces, which run the gamut from gestural portraiture, to whimsical paintings of nature, to carefully executed architectural renderings, are each unique, but all share the positivity that I experienced as I spoke with the artist.

“Basically the colors that I see and the people that I meet, I try to capture that into my artwork in a way,” she said.

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Credit: Courtesy of the artist

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Credit: Courtesy of the artist

Recently, Isaak-Harrington has been hard at work illustrating her first children’s book. The forthcoming “Fishing in the Rain,” by South Carolina author and conservationist Pam Porter, recounts the real-life story of Jim and his grandson Jake as they turn the disappointment of a rainy day into a memorable series of encounters with the local sea life.

On the surface it may seem that interacting with a family telling fish stories may not seem as profound as exploring the wilds of Alaska, but for the well-travelled artist, it’s been yet another experience on her journey of self-discovery, a journey that began thousands of miles away in a town you won’t find on many maps.

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Credit: Courtesy of the artist

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Credit: Courtesy of the artist

“That’s one thing I love about creating: When you can capture that person, when you can see how happy that person is,” she beamed. “Being able to have that connection is such a beautiful feeling.”

Tamara Isaak-Harrington has a space on the ground floor of Sulfur Studios at 2301 Bull Street, straight back from the main entrance. You can also view her work on Instagram @isaakharrington and on the web at isaakharrington.com.

Art off the Air is a companion piece to the radio program “Art on the Air” hosted by Rob Hessler and Gretchen Hilmers. The column can also be found at savannahnow.com/entertainment.

The show airs Wednesdays from 3-4pm on WRUU 107.5 FM Savannah and at WRUU.org.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Tamara Isaak-Harrington has traveled the world and found connection through her art in Savannah