Natalie Anwar, Michigan based photographer and painter, and mother of 5, proclaims herself to be "a muse" in the most literal sense –– one who contemplates deeply. This self characterization came after all three of her naturally conceived identical triplets were diagnosed with autism at the age of three. Out of this contemplation and feelings of isolation, Anwar took to photography: dramatically rendering the images she took to reflect the various emotions she experienced navigating her extreme new reality.

After the pandemic hit, Anwar put down her camera and turned to acrylic painting, focusing on the art of portraiture and facial studies. The prolonged disruption of her special needs teenagers’ routine amidst puberty and the inability to secure or maintain sufficient supports/services in the home intensified the challenges Anwar already faced meeting their needs, let alone her own. As a result, Anwar began painting the faces of young girls and women of color from images she collected on the internet, with the chosen image possessing and communicating an emotion that resonated within her.

Prior to leaving the corporate world and the call to embrace her creative spirit, Anwar worked in the marketing department at Tesoro Corporation, a fortune 200 company in the oil and gas sector acquired by Marathon in 2018. She was also worked for Dr. Sandra Steen, founding president of Sandra Steen Consulting, LLC (an international speaking, training and consulting firm) as a key member of her creative team.

Anwar received her BS in Advertising from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 2013 and her MS in Communication from Lasell University, in Newton, Mass. in 2015, graduating both with honors while parenting her five sons as a single mom.

Anwar resides in Michigan with four of her children and continues to be an advocate for her autistic children and artist for reformation of our mental health care system.

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