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let's talk about Ramadan Muslims, yo. (by lulainlife)

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Interview 5 // Talk With Doaa Eldermash, Artist

1. How long have you been creating your art? What do you create?

I've been making art since I was a kid, but I started making art  professionally since I went to a faculty of fine arts 7 years ago and joined the  graphic arts department to learn printmaking techniques and learning drawing and painting with several materials. So I'm a printmaking artist, creating prints by transferring ink from a matrix or through a prepared screen to a sheet of paper or other material. I usually use zinc plates to make my prints and I made my graduation project by using printmaking techniques. Actually, printmaking is a hard process but I’m enjoying doing it. 2. What are you trying to communicate with your art?

I've always had a passion for art and I believe that, “art is not a thing , it is a way”, so art is a way for me  to express myself and my life. 3. Is there a process or ritual you go through before you begin creating? And if so, what is it?

Yes, if I am preparing for a specific project, I always love to read about it and collecting any data talking about it and take many pictures and do so many sketches, all these things putting me in the mood of creating. Sometimes I just take a pencil and start direct to draw any thing without preparing.

4. Did you face any obstacles informing your parents about delving into the arts professionally? Many Muslim families look down upon the arts in general as a career, were your parents accepting/supporting?

No , thanks God, my parents always supported  me and always help me to be better, because  they notice that I've a talent since I was a kid, so they already knew that I'm interested in art so I didn't face any problem in this part and they helped me to do what I love. 5. What advice would you give for those who are starting out or even just considering pursuing their artistic dreams?

I would advise them to do art with passion and from all their hearts, and don't do it for just making money or being famous, because once you become good at what you do all these things will come automatically, and always try to improve your skills and be aware of the new updates. 6. What inspires you - and do you use that inspiration directly to create a project or do you channel towards something you are already working on?

I am always inspired by people's struggles and their internal conflicts, every one of us fighting a war inside himself and this always touches and inspires me to create art works, and once I am inspired by something, I directly start to draw many sketches to put myself in the mood of creation.

7. What would people be surprised to learn about you?

Umm…I think I'm the only person on the earth who hates coffee and doesn't drink it at all. Another thing is that I don't like any pets and was always afraid to get close to them, but recently  I have been trying to change  that, so I bought  a cat  and I'm trying to be close to her and I'm happy with that .

You can also follow Doaa on Instagram: http://instagram.com/doaaeldemerdash and you can also find her and her powerful artwork on tumblr: http://doaaeldemerdash.tumblr.com/.  

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Interview 4 // Huda Alawa, Photographer + College Student

1.  Why did you start?

I've been into photography for only a couple of years now. I've never been an especially artistic person, but something about photography intrigued me. I've experimented with landscape and wedding photography,  and have found a passion in portrait photography. There's so much a picture can portray about a person based solely on the smallest gestures.

2.  Is there a process or ritual you go through before you begin creating? And if so, what is it?

I don't necessarily have a ritual, per se. There are times when I feel extremely inspired, so I'll just grab my camera and go. Living in the moment helps me with my art.

Photography for me is something I do on the side. Although I love it, I don't want to feel the pressure to photograph as a job, so I try to use it as my relief from work and school. Because of this, my parents are only supportive of me pursuing my passion.

4. What are some obstacles that you faced in your journey, and how did you deal/have you dealt with them?

Even if you don't consider yourself to be artistic, just go for it. I could never imagine myself as a photographer or an artist of any sorts. For example, I used to never be able to show anyone what I captured. I was just too embarrassed because I didn't think any of it was good. And you know, at first it wasn't any good. But by practicing and getting criticism with others, I've been able to improve exponentially and take pride in what I do. I still don't consider myself a decent photographer, but I'm getting there, slowly but surely. Nobody can define what art is, that's up to the individual artist. 

a compilation of Huda's work. more can be found at her facebook page.

5. Did you rely on your Muslim community when you first began? did you ever rely on them? if so, did you gain support? and if you didn’t, why didn’t you?

I first began photography as a personal endeavor. Something about being able to capture my thoughts on certain issues or framing emotions that I see enraptured me. The Boston Muslim community was great; I photographed various events for the Boston community and that allowed me to work on my style and add more photos to my portfolio. It was on a MAS Boston retreat that I was able to take a picture of a gorgeous sunset, which was one of the first few photos I really felt accomplished about.

6. What inspires you - and do you use that inspiration directly to create a project or do you channel towards something you are already working on?

Different things inspire different reactions. I'm currently toying with an idea supporting the Syrian Revolution, since, being Syrian, it is close to my heart. I'm also brainstorming different ideas for surrealist photographs to portray emotional positions that people might feel themselves in. I try not to start too many projects at a time, instead saving them in a journal for whenever I want to start something new. 7. In the spirit of being random, what's your favorite book?

Life of Pi by Yann Martel.  I'm not talking about the movie, either. The movie, while really beautifully shot with awesome effects, doesn't do the book any of the justice. Martel's colorful language and ideas of religion that he portrays in this novel are amazing: he makes the reader THINK. That's what any good book, any good piece of art, does. You can find Huda’s work online at https://www.facebook.com/HAlawaPhotography!

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Meat Pudding ~ ♪ :3 on We Heart It - http://weheartit.com/entry/6061783/via/catsf

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My work…

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The Court of the Gayumars, 1525

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The moments pass by, friends come and go…I stay loyal to my patterns as they live with me forever. #patterns #painting #humnamustafa #london #uk #art #mandala #circles #geometry #islamicart #blackandwhite #today

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Stefan Saigmester and Jessica Hische, Obsessions make my life worse and my work better (Amsterdam 2008)

This was made with 250.000 Euro cents.

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Al FENN is on TWITTER!

FOLLOW US @ALFENNMOSAIC for exciting updates on the Arts in Islam and Muslim artists!

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Kingdom of Heaven - Khaled al-Saai

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My work…

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Interview 3 // Lena Khan, Writer/Film Director

1.  Why did you start?

I've always loved making movies, but I didn't start doing it professionally until I went to film school over at UCLA. Then, I wanted to do it for the art of it, and also for the influence. Whether it is learning about a social issue or breaking barriers of race or other prejudices, film has a way of speaking to people that even the most powerful lectures don't.  

2.  Is there a process or ritual you go through before you begin creating? And if so, what is it?

No ritual, just trying to find the depth of a story--even if it's a music video. Stories come from the human experience, and so at the heart of it you really have to figure out what the stories and journeys mean to the audiences. This is the case even for a comedy (like my film). At the heart of it, it is a story of the limits of ambition and their effect on human relationships. Without understanding what is at the heart and soul of the characters and their trials and pursuits, you can't create any type of art that involves people.

I would advise them to do it for the art of it, and not any other reason. Don't do it for the pay (well, we all know that takes forever to come by), don't do it for the power, don't do it to become part of a change. Those things may all come, and you can use them wisely, but the reality is that most arts are intensely competitive. You simply won't survive if your art isn't up to par. So, you can have ideals, but you won't be able to pursue them unless you become good at what you do.

4. What are some obstacles that you faced in your journey, and how did you deal/have you dealt with them?

This isn't anything unique to myself, but funding is always an obstacle. I think all artists know that, and that's why the term "starving artist" is so popular. Learning the ins and outs of the business, and figuring out how to get all the financing in place is a daily struggle. For the most part, I've just tried to be smart about it, make as strong a project as possible, and put all of my heart, soul--and time, into it.

5. Did you rely on your Muslim community when you first began? did you ever rely on them? if so, did you gain support? and if you didn’t, why didn’t you?

I didn't rely on them when I first began because I was working in more of the mainstream industry. I had gone to UCLA and then gone on to intern and then work at various production companies. Sometime after, however, my work did catch the eye of the Muslim community and they have been quite supportive ever since. They helped me when I needed extras or people in my music videos, they helped fund some of my smaller projects, and now they are promoting my Kickstarter (online fundraising/crowd-sourcing) campaign for my feature film. They also helped me meet some of my investors, those who were Muslim and those who were not.

6. What inspires you - and do you use that inspiration directly to create a project or do you channel towards something you are already working on?

I think I am inspired by the support of everyone else. Sometimes, when you really get deeper into the film industry, you find that some of the spirit gets lost and the business dominates. In the midst of this, it is so refreshing to get constant support from others who share my dream and support it. It puts the soul back into my work, and gives me energy to plug on. Honestly, I am working about 17 hours a day (I time it) on this Kickstarter campaign and raising money, and the people who are supporting me are how I get the energy.

7. What would people be surprised to learn about you?

Oh, questions like this are hard. Umm...I used to have a pet raccoon. I ditched school nearly 1/4 of the time in high school (but kept good grades - so I'm not endorsing that)! I do magic tricks? I played baseball (not softball) for 5 years, and softball for 3. I have a Midas touch with electronics. Not sure if those are that surprising though... The best way to learn about me and support me right now is to go to our Kickstarter pagehttp://kck.st/13tcFx8 ! I really need the help of each and every one of you, if you are able. This is my dream, and I know you'll love my movie--but I can't do without you. If you can pledge even $5, I'd be so grateful. From that page, you will also find links to my work (or you can go to http://www.lenakhan.com) and you can read my blog at http://lenamakesamovie.tumblr.com . But please, go first to my Kickstarter site - I need, and deeply appreciate, the support.

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