By Meet emerging teen artist Morvarid Mohammad
At 15, spunky Morvarid is wise beyond her years. The Afghan-Iranian artist has already found a steady foothold in the art scene in UAE. Her most noticeable foray into the art world was her selection as the youngest artist ever to have her work exhibited at Made in Tashkeel in 2022.
Based in the coastal emirate of Fujairah, the self-taught visual artist, has participated in several exhibitions and admits that she is a pro at balancing school work and creative pursuits. In this interview with Middle East Masala we uncover the young artist’s interpretation of her artistic universe.
What was your earliest memory of creating art?
That would be as a tiny tot, scribbling on our apartment walls with caricatures of brightly colored houses and stumpy people. My mother, being the great parent that she is, didn’t stop my 85 cm high wall-scrawling, which resulted in us having to repaint the whole house. Things escalated from there and I slowly graduated from crayons to pencils to paint. I really believe that the freedom my mother gave me in creating art at that young age, gave me the impetus to continue to this day.
How is art a part of your current life and how did your art journey take flight?
Art is a way of life for me. I look at everything with the eyes of an artist. The things I see or hear in my day-to-day life are an inspiration for my projects. I am forever thinking up new ways to not only make better art, but to also market and manage my work more efficiently. I hope to be able to study art academically and be a full-time artist in future.
As you are aware now, I started drawing at a very young age, since then, I have always felt the need to improve my skills, to be able to convey the idea behind my artwork more effectively and along the way I learnt new things. Over the years, I began to take art even more seriously. Around three years ago I started attending art events and exhibiting in galleries to share my art with the public.
What is your artistic style and your creative process?
I am still experimenting and trying to discover my voice as an artist and a person. But if I had to describe my style, I would call it figurative realism and illustration. I find that figurative realism conveys best the sublime beauty I find in everyday objects and lifestyles, and can hold strong under the heavy burden of the symbolism and metaphoric quality, I like to give to my artworks. At the moment I work mostly with oil paint, water colour and digital art. I try to blend the boundaries between these two-medium leading to mixed media work.
As for my creative process, I mainly begin by gathering inspiration and references for the piece I plan to create. After I’ve established an acceptable plan, I start working with my medium of choice. The process usually takes from a day to several months depending on the piece, and my pace. Painting sessions may even last over five hours a day.
How did you feel being selected as the youngest artist at Made in Tashkeel 2022?
It was a great experience! I’m really grateful to the Tashkeel team who believed in my art. I also got to meet and network with several well-known artists, and found my foothold in the art industry in UAE, which I discovered is also very supportive.
As a teenager, how do you strike a balance between art and your school studies?
I don’t struggle much as I’ve found a great balance between my school and art life. These lives rarely clash or merge, which makes managing and figuring my priorities easier. On the whole, I try not to let one aspect of my life diminish or weaken the other.
Who are your art icons and mentors?
There have been many influences that have shaped me as an artist. I’m very inspired by the traditional art of the 14thC and 18thC. The Impressionist and Art Nouveau movements have also played an important role in moulding my art. As for my friends and family, everyone is extremely encouraging and supportive, especially my mother. She is my biggest fan and the backbone of my artistic career