Dr. Dodi Mossafer, in his words, is a proud Egyptian American artist, a painter who considers himself a self-taught artist. Born in Egypt, he came to the U.S. on his own at the young age of 19 to attend college. After completing his college education, he pursued a business and academic career and stayed in the U.S. for almost 20 years.
Dr. Dodi never imagined he would be a painter when he was younger. The teacher of the only art class he took in college failed him— with the lowest grade he had ever received. He remembers that the professor was very critical of him, telling him he had no tolerance or appreciation for Art. Dr. Dodi surprised himself ten years later when he began painting, as he initially agreed with the professor.
Aside from his passion and love for Art, he is also an accomplished corporate strategist, a finance and business administration professor, and a writer. As an avid supporter of local artists and museums, Dr. Dodi is a passionate art collector.
“I create most of my artwork from pure imagination that is free of limitations or constraints, ” says Dodi.
After finishing his first abstract expressionism painting in 2012, he never halted. Since then, four hundred fifty artworks have been produced by him in different styles and techniques using oil, acrylic, markers, and pastels on canvas, linen, and paper.
“Every painting of mine has a story, and it aims to trigger feelings, emotions, and memories deep inside the heart and mind of the viewer,” says Dr. Dodi.
During the early years of his journey as an artist, Dr. Dodi was hesitant to display or share his artwork. He struggled with the idea that perhaps it wasn’t worth sharing and only painted to express his emotions and feelings. Plunging into an unknown world that he gets to create and shape without any rules or limitations. Nearing 2018, he gradually began sharing some early paintings with friends and family.
“I was quite surprised that many of them liked my work and appreciated it. I got more encouraged and created a social media profile on Instagram a year later,” says Dr. Dodi.
He began sharing his old and ongoing artwork on his social media profile. Dr. Dodi recollects it as an overwhelming experience, as he witnessed that many from across the world admired his work.
As a painter, he appreciates nature and traditional artwork, although he tends to feel limited by its style and techniques. “I also appreciate the beauty of human figures. Therefore, sometimes I make a conscious choice to be free of any restrictions whenever I need to,” says Dr. Dodi. His artwork is highly influenced by nature, environment, and/or outside triggers then he takes it through a personal journey of deep imagination and reflection while building an emotional connection with the painting to show the world. Every time he paints, he confesses that he too patiently waits for what materializes on his canvas.
“I usually do not know what my painting looks like or what it will be till after I am done with it,” explains Dr. Dodi.
The painting process is like a journey in which he does not know the destination until he gets there. Usually, it takes him more than one session to paint, as he needs time to reflect and feel his painting while building a deep connection to my work. He works on multiple paintings simultaneously to allow his creative process and emotions to harmonize with the painting.
“I feel the canvas, I touch it, I look at it, and I talk to it and say talk to me and tell me how you want to be created,” he expresses. He truly feels that every painting was meant to be created in a certain way, while he is only a tool to bring it to life and into our universe. It isn’t uncommon for him to be so immersed in his paintings that he could spend an entire weekend painting day and night in isolation.
Dr. Dodi gets asked often what his paintings mean, but he refrains from giving his opinion. He believes that the viewer should draw their conclusions; he also tends to avoid sketching his paintings in advance, so lines and boundaries can’t limit his artistry. He also admits that getting paid to paint something specific is difficult. “I need to paint what I feel then if it is sold that is great and if not then I will wait till it has the appropriate person to appreciate it,” explains Dr. Dodi.
As a painter, Dr. Dodi is highly influenced by Picasso, Van Gogh, Pollock, and Matisse. A massive admirer of their creations, he has studied them and their work extensively.
“Art is a journey of emotional creativity,” says Dr. Dodi.