Alymamah Rashed an artist who gracefully navigates the interplay between identity, nature, and cultural heritage, creating profound visual narratives shares her exploration of themes such as the intrinsic and extrinsic escape, not as a departure but as an entryway to new perspectives and experiences, all of which connect back to her essence. Her works, deeply influenced by personal history and regional folklore, invite viewers to embark on their journeys of discovery. Through global exhibitions and cross-cultural dialogues, Rashed’s art fosters a universal sense of connection and understanding, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and cultural exchange in nurturing creativity. This interview delves into her creative process, the impact of her work on diverse audiences, and her vision for fostering artistic growth in a richly interconnected work.
1. Your art often explores themes of identity and the natural environment, blending perspectives from the East and West. How do you find ‘escape’ in your creative process, and how does this influence the narratives you build within your work?
To me, the word “escape” refers to an entryway rather than an exit. I enter into new visions, senses, and experiences that still connect me to my seed. I believe all that I see, feel, and sense roots me back to my seed. However, the way changes and fluctuates, which results in a newfound understanding of my seed. My practice is heavily influenced by my personal life, the intrinsic, and how it connects to the environment around me, the extrinsic. I also believe that the connection from intrinsic to extrinsic is orchestrated from both ends. In past works, I would work from an internal feeling and the perception of it that lays within would attract an existing environment or would build an environment composed of personal symbols such as references from tile shards found in the heart of Kuwait City or botanicals found in Failaka Island that bloom in the spring time only. Currently, a found natural environment would directly dictate the narrative. I just went on a hiking trip near Antalya in Turkey and I saw a mountain that holds a bird sanctuary. As soon as I saw it, I just imagined myself laying on top of them and my body moulding into them. This is because I felt an opening within my chest that I hadn’t experienced before and it was a purge of a memory that I healed recently. Escape is a constant return to the self.
2. You’ve participated in numerous exhibitions across the globe, from New York to Dubai. Can you share a memorable experience from one of these exhibitions where your work provided an ‘escape’ for the audience, and how that impacted you as an artist?
In my second solo exhibition with Tabari Artspace, I was very happy to know how a lot of visitors felt a sense of relief when looking at the work. My intent is always to provide an open window of entry through the eye for the viewer regardless of whether they would want to learn about my story or not. That’s the purpose of art: to gift the freedom that I gifted myself while creating the work to the viewer in whatever way they choose to interact, think, or access the work. I also knew that a lot of people were somewhat pleasantly surprised to see me wear the hijab even though that is not a relevant association for me conceptually and visually towards my practice. Some found that to be an access point as well to the work. I also think that it might have been an open window for a lot of people, especially women, to see that you’re simply human and you get to choose what you want to explore and share about your entirety without judgment and fear; to share yourself freely. I had a lot of women email me after the shows, especially hijabi women, opening up about their practices and experiences within their every day and I am forever grateful for that. At the end of the day, I see myself as a painter who paints stories about herself in relation to where she finds herself within her surroundings and I’m happy to see how different individuals would connect to the work regardless of their beliefs, race, and gender.
3. For many artists, nature serves as a sanctuary and a source of inspiration. How do your local botanical finds and regional folklore play into the concept of escape in your art, and what advice would you give to artists seeking to incorporate their environment into their work?
My botanical finds or folklore references derive from the area of interest I would be currently compelled by. For example, my exhibition on Failaka Island at Fikar Failaka, “Earth Can Be As Dead As It Can Be Alive”, was built on a year-long residency, constantly researching about the island, visiting the archaeological sites, working with archaeologists, meeting with residents of the island, and researching about its history. However, what was even more valuable to me was how I got to connect with all of this found history. It is absolutely crucial and essential for me to create my own access point as well so I built my own narratives, folklore, and stories that are inspired by the found beliefs and history of the island. For example, I created a piece composed of hundreds of watercolour panels that explore Al Khidr, the messenger of Moses who was believed to have visited the island and the Failakawis built a shrine for him that was demolished throughout the island’s history. My responses to the island were also inspired by seashells, pebbles, tiles, and Botanics that I have collected from all over the island. They were embedded individually within all the works in the show and each work is a personal response to the object and myself. I encourage artists who are interested in exploring the natural environment to envision themselves being the environment itself by embedding themselves into the makeup of it through both its silent and prominent symbols. A pebble can sing too.
4. As someone who has received significant recognition and scholarships, what role does mentorship play in your artistic journey? How can emerging artists and galleries cultivate meaningful mentorship relationships to foster creativity and professional growth?
It is absolutely essential for any artist, no matter how much experience you have, to be inspired by others. It’s crucial to have a few individuals with whom you can share your barest thoughts and to have intricate conversations with them that would unfold the work and bear its skeletal system as well as its soul. I personally have friends, former colleagues, and professors from school that I connect with when I need to. However, I also find that being a mentor yourself mentors you too. I absolutely enjoyed teaching and mentoring high school students, college students, and kids because I see it more as a flow of exchanges. Nothing is too small or big. You both allow yourselves to exist in an open space of freedom and perhaps inspire one another to explore what lies beyond our built notions. In other words, I believe every artist should birth, exist, and provide an open field of perception, dialogue, and thoughts and you cannot provide that unless you practice it with yourself. All freedom lies within and you must be aware in order to live it and then birth it to the world abundantly.
5. Your involvement in various international art events highlights the importance of cultural exchange. How do you think participating in such events contributes to an artist’s ability to ‘escape’ traditional boundaries, and what benefits do you see for galleries in promoting artists with diverse cultural backgrounds?
I think by simply showing up and speaking about your work in relation to yourself, other incredible artists, and simply what moves you will inspire individuals to speak their own stories too. Galleries, fairs, residencies, and talks do provide a space for many emerging, mid-career, and established artists to speak their stories and there are many galleries that allow for freedom of expression, collaborations, and interactivity with the real world. These spaces extend your story and the stories of others, however, it is also important to realize that your voice lies within you and you get to choose who you want to work with and who you trust to place your voice within their platform. I think it’s absolutely necessary to remind artists to simply focus on the work and to be concerned with the work first and always. You will align with the right individuals, galleries, and institutions, but most importantly, you must align with yourself first and truly show up and believe in your work. This will always be the core of your practice: being authentically who you are while challenging yourself through yourself and being immersed in the act of making. I am tremendously grateful to be working with Tabari Airspace and Hunna Art because they both align with who I am as a person, a painter, and a storyteller. I am grounded and they ground me even more.