Healing through art...

art

“Art opens the closets, airs out the cellars and attics. It brings healing.”

–– Julia Cameron

The art that surrounds us - whether it’s a painting, music or film - has a huge impact on our mood, emotions and our interactions with others. People often think that science and technology are superior to art, but that’s not the case. As we continue to journey a fast-paced life, moments of quick decisions and fragmented thoughts, art allows every moment to be memorable. It helps in understanding our emotions which further helps us heal, grow and improve ourselves.

Gul-e-Zahra Haider is a Karachi-based artist who uses Instagram to display and promote her artwork. She resonates with this sentiment on a personal level. Pursuing Bachelors in Architecture and working a 9-to-5 as a CAD operator pushed Gul’s art to a backseat. Spiralling into deep depression, it was her art that eventually brought her back to life. “My art brought me out of depression. I used to feel as if there is a solid wall in front of me and I couldn’t get through. I felt fatigued, demotivated and generally in a bad mood. I thought of ideas but nothing worthwhile came out of them. All my drawing tools and sheets used to lie around and I’d be completely blank. Then one day something in me just forced me to stop torturing myself. I took some time off and dabbled in adult colouring books. This led me into pushing myself to create something every day even if it was a single stroke on a page. This is how my journaling series started,” explains Gul.

In an interview with You! Gul-e-Zahra talks about her artwork and her journey...

You! What made you pursue art?

Gul-e-Zahra Haider: I loved to draw since I was a child. It was my favourite subject in school. I used to get colouring books and drawing materials as birthday gifts. My father used to sketch and do crafts himself so he always encouraged me to pursue my passion.

You! Why do you create art?

GZH: It releases my anxiety and stress. The intention is not always to create art for the sake of commercial or educational requirement, but to create a near mirror image of my thoughts.

You! What techniques and materials do you use?

GZH: I use a variety of art mediums like watercolours, ink, gouache, charcoal, acrylics, oils, pencil, pastels, fineliners and collage. However, my favourite has to be watercolours, markers and fineliners. Watercolour is best for creating spontaneous layered effects. If I really boil down to define my particular technique, it is mostly sketchy and random at first but gets finer and detailed as it moves on.

You! Is there an element in your art you enjoy the most?

GZH: I enjoy the process of creating it. Many times, during the process, I learn new ways of doing something from trials and errors, and sometimes it further generates new ideas for my next artwork. And if the end result is close to what I imaged, that’s an achievement I relish the most.

You! What is the inspiration behind your work?

GZH: Nature, music, artists, books, seasons, memories and dreams.

You! Is there any work of yours you are most proud of?

GZH: I took part in the Pelikan Wanderlust project in 2014. The task was to tell the world about your thoughts and yourself. The competition was open internationally and a winner was selected from every country. I was selected from Pakistan as a Wanderlust Stop for Pelikan’s touring wanderlust ink. I had to write a letter and pass on the package to the next destination. It was a fun and exciting experience.

You! How long does it normally take you to finish one piece of art?

GZH: It depends on what I want to create. A doodle or quick sketch will take minute or half hour. If it’s detailed or layered work, I take my sweet time and not to rush it. I also procrastinate sometimes , it may take weeks to months. (haha)

You! What do you dislike about the art world?

GZH: The lobbying or should I partiality when a fake artist is preferred over a talented one.

You! Is there something that you dislike about your work?

GZH: I don’t have a signature style which every artist seems to have and mine is not clear. I have a long way to go in discovering my preference in style.

You! What do you like the most about your work?

GZH: My work is honest and driven by my own instincts rather for the sake of likes and attentions.

You! What is your dream project?

GZH: Not a dream project but more like a dream purpose to convey a message of wellbeing and spirituality through my art.

You! Name your favourite artists:

GZH: Locally, I like Hajra Manzoor, Guljee and Abdul Hai. Hajra Manzoor’s Watercolour Ladies has inspired me since childhood and I used to copy the elegant eyes, faces and shapes on their dresses. Internationally, I like Monet, Matisse, John Constable, Turner, Andy Worhal, Yayoi Kusama and fashion designer Iris Van Harpen. All these artists fascinate and inspire me.

You! Has social media helped you gain exposure?

GZH: Yes, Instagram has proven to be very useful in launching my work to a world full of different artists from around the globe. It’s given me a lot of exposure.

You! Do you travel in order to gain knowledge or get inspired for your work?

GZH: I travel within Karachi mostly for surveys and photography. Old Karachi in particular is my muse along with the seaside and Karachi University premises for art and architecture.

You! In your opinion, how would you define surreal art?

GZH: When you say surreal art, in a splash I have images of ants, melting clocks, desert and tormented female bodies and lobster; all these images belong to the famous surreal artist Salvador Dali. In my opinion, surreal art plays with your mind, as it introduces an element of sudden unexpectedness into everyday mundane scene. A giant whale hovering over your head in your bedroom, a normal portrait with distorted face features, for such purposes surreal art provides visuals for fantasy and horror movies and we experience surreal imagery in our dreams.

You! What is an artistic outlook on life?

GZH: An artistic outlook on life is humanistic which is directed towards, selflessness, sharing, empathy, spirituality and love towards nature.

You! What’s your biggest accomplishment to-date?

GZH: My biggest accomplishment was when my entry was selected as the magazine cover Visual Studies department, KU.

You! How do you unwind?

GZH: As a night owl, night time is perfect for listening to chillwave and vapourwave music, tea, self-actualisation when is all quiet after a long busy day.

You! Do you think we can change established mindsets through art?

GZH: I want to create art which can serve as a purpose. So, for me, the main purpose of art is to change mindsets of people about mental health. Art therapy is gaining popularity and it has proven to be effective in many cases of depression, anxiety and trauma victims. The purpose of art therapy is to act as a medium for communication between patient and the therapist where the patient is unable to put their feelings into words. In this case, art proves to be an effective tool to translate their trapped feelings and emotions into lines, shapes and colours by patients.

You! What are your future plans?

GZH: My future plan is to do more experiments with art mediums and to create an art collection related to marine forms.

Gul-e-Zahra’s artwork is available on Instagram at @gullaey