Photograph by Vic Saad: a glowing red glasshouse against a deep blue night sky

Photography · Vic Saad

Finding beauty in the heavy.

Striking color, unexpected perspective and quiet light. Work shaped by fifteen years in community mental health and a lifelong feeling of otherness.

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Artist Statement

A third-culture kid, with a camera.

These photos reflect my experience as a third-culture kid. Although being an artist wasn't considered an acceptable career choice, I pursued a path in healthcare, becoming a first-generation student and earning my master's degree in psychology with a specialization in addiction medicine.

Photography became my outlet for processing the complex feelings of otherness that persisted throughout my academic and professional journey, alongside the heavy burden of witnessing how the opioid epidemic disproportionately affects marginalized communities.

As you view these pieces, I invite you to think about how we, as community members, can promote equity and social justice reform within our community.

Photograph by Vic Saad: a city skyline at blue hour

The one medium I never took a class in turned out to be my strongest. The irony is rich, like Phthalo Blue.

Vic's rescue cat on a leash walk in the grass

Meet the Artist

Vic Saad

Vic Saad is a third-culture Syrian-American artist whose work has been shaped by 15 years in community mental health, including 5 years in addiction medicine and homeless services.

As a first-generation college student who earned a master's in psychology while already working in the field, Vic saw firsthand the disproportionate impact of the opioid epidemic on marginalized communities. That journey shaped their artistic identity.

Their photography captures themes emerging from work with clients and from personal experience as a helping professional. An undergraduate minor in studio arts gave Vic the art theory and eye for color at the heart of their style. Family members and friends who have struggled with substance use keep that vision personal.

Unofficial Co-Creative Directors

Two adopted rescue cats join Vic on neighborhood walks. The senior cat walks on a leash, the younger one rides in a stroller. Off the clock, Vic volunteers for equity in the community and keeps alive the Syrian dishes their great-grandmother brought over in the early 1900s.

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