Artists possess the ability to exist in their own world yet work with and against the rules of the real world.....
US TALK
Artists possess the ability to exist in their own world yet work with and against the rules of the real world. They might live with us, be exposed to (more or less) similar conditions, but given their innate understanding of aesthetics, they are able to look at and grasp the finer details in life that allude the rest of us. “You end up being an artist when you are more sensitive to life,” confides Asad Kamran to Us.
Asad, whose work usually is a mirror image of whatever he is surrounded by, is fascinated by the realm of design. An architect by education (MA, University of Edinburgh), he considers art as a medium of giving back to the society. A lot of his work, which includes his critique of society, stems from his individual perception of this world. “I can only say what I know and therefore my work ends up being a reflection of my surroundings whether I want to or not, whether I like it or not.”
However, he refrains from putting any labels on his work. “The lines are blurred, which makes it a lot more freeing for me.” And that’s exactly how he would like his work to be seen as well - not in a rigid, overly thought out manner, but as honest, impulsive and uninhibited. Also because “in the act of creation, mistakes are welcome.
Sometimes, these mistakes are beautiful opportunities for you to experiment and deviate from the path that is not meant for you. When, despite making mistakes, you push forward and are able to discover a whole new style of creating and designing things.
The education is a plus in this case, obviously, allowing me to transform radical thoughts into practical proposals. In fact, it’s quite fun while I combine the two thought processes.”
If you visit Asad’s studio, you’ll note the paint across the edge of the walls and even ceilings. His work, as he says, is “quite wild”, a constant back and forth between this freedom to create in an absolutely uninhibited fashion and trying to really make it logical, observed too in his choice of materials: “I use a lot of charcoal and acrylic. I use different types of tapes and paper surfaces.
I’ve started using enamel in my work as well as employ digital projection. In fact, computers are the most amazing addition to the world of art not just for the fact that bringing a concept is a lot more challenging than thinking about it, but also because I like using shortcuts to create and they suit my need to create more in a short span of time.
I have a hundred thoughts in an hour and each of those ideas seems to be brilliant until I have to execute it and I realise that perhaps this is not as profound as I thought it was.”
His advice to aspiring artists is to be unabashedly unapologetic with their expressions. “Find your own style. Don’t let anyone or anything fashion the way you produce. For this purpose, you have to be extremely gutsy; make work, exhibit, have conversations, meet new people, and don’t over think it.”
