INTERVIEWS
abdulaziz al hosni is an omani artist whose work revolves around masculinity, its perceptions, its restrictions, and the resulting toxicity that stems from fitting in a box. al hosni is here to escape censorship, speak up for himself, and reclaim his identity on his own terms. “i will not go live in los angeles. i don’t want to disown my roots to live freely. i want to embrace them and live authentically by normalizing a new status quo”, he says with a playful defiance.
vladimir antaki has a peculiar knack for extrapolating universal themes out of local authenticities, regardless of where life takes him. although armed with a strong sense of storytelling, antaki refuses to dictate where the story goes, but rather allows for happenstance and what some would describe as divine intervention to lead him on his journey. the result is a body of work abundant in undeniable human insights that champion connectivity, mutual understanding, and appreciation for the simpler things in life.
she's an icon, a legend, and one of the arab artists' living greats, who have shaped an entire culture. despite being in the limelight since the 70s, fifi remains grounded.
mike willcox’s mindfulness and holistic balance are the vessels to his creative prowess. an approach that powerfully resonates with a new generation of art enthusiasts, who seek sanity and serenity in defiance of an overly sensationalistic and materialistic world.
andrés reisinger has captivated a plethora of international galleries with his whimsical designs that consistently blur the lines of reality, vacillating between the conceptual and the physical in a most effective manner.
daniel asater is an eternal seeker of beauty. through his travels, he aims to capture cinematic scenes that he witnesses and aims to transcribe.
lebanese illustrator pamela mansour’s art is colorful, feminine, and powerful, yet it still manages to put a smile on people’s faces, a feat not to be underestimated in a world filled with self-important proclamations in the guise of art.
lebanese photographer, artist and activist myriam boulos’ raw and personal photography finds its potency where intimacy and political agency collide.
samo shalaby’s world is a captivating mix of his inspirations, lived experiences and roots. the palestinian-egyptian young artist talks to us about ghost stories, the occult, and his journey living in different parts of the world.
victor nouman has a knack for finding a narrative where all things traditional and experimental collide. his work, notably utopic arabia, aptly captures the quintessence of the flourishing arab renaissance, which continues to make an indelible mark on the international art scene.
as a friend, sarah is deeply caring and generous with her emotions and advice. prior to our talk, i asked all the plastik editors to put in their questions for sarah. we had a deeply inspiring conversation on a beautiful spring day in new york city.
Tony Kelly is a fine art photographer and director with an acute penchant for opulence and over-indulgence. The saturated colors, the outlandish settings and the absurd situations portrayed in his work give viewers the escapism and ok-boomer fantasies they never knew they needed. Regardless, Kelly’s work dramatically portrays the decadence that comes with excessive luxury and wealth: a theme that could not ring truer today with the acute wealth disparity we’re currently experiencing around the world.
symone is undeniably one of the most successful drag queens to come out of the iconic, boundary-pushing, conversation-opening, mind-widening rupaul’s drag race. her path and looks are reminiscent of rupaul charles himself - who’s quite the protegée of the crown holder. her political stance on the show has been subtle but powerful, as the drag artist continues her legacy by simply being everywhere.
Christto Sanz and Andrew Weir are creative partners with a future-kitsch aesthetic that has become their signature. Inspired by their lives in the Gulf – the opulent city of Doha in Qatar – and both their native countries (South Africa and Puerto Rico), their work threads on Orientalist fetishism, without really going there.
With a flair for striking visuals loaded with art references, Debusschere blends mediums such as film, photography, art curation and commercial work – in a way that feels authentic and true to his vision. His latest exhibition at his studio “254Forest” defies the limitations of art viewing during a global pandemic.
The Female Warhol is a pseudonym for an artist who prefers to remain anonymous and who “couldn’t think of a female equivalent to Andy Warhol”, thus becoming her. Warhol wanted to express herself artistically, while going through a difficult journey in her personal life, to assert herself and grow.
Klaus Enrique is a “curiosity artist”, born and raised in Mexico City. Early in his career, he was working as a freelance IT consultant, before he realized how big his passion for photography is, and pursued creative studies at Parsons and SVA to become a full-time artist, flipping his life around.
Take one look at Ed Freeman’s career and you will know that this artist does not like labels. Starting off as a successful musician, including collaborations with The Beatles and Cher amongst others, Freeman moved on to photography with a portfolio so eclectic, one could not even fathom defining him as an artist. Whether rural landscape, underwater, or abstract photography, Freeman chooses fun over consistency, and wins. The one common denominator? His ability to render anything mystical.
With a flair for striking visuals loaded with art references, Debusschere blends mediums such as film, photography, art curation and commercial work – in a way that feels authentic and true to his vision. His latest exhibition at his studio “254Forest” defies the limitations of art viewing during a global pandemic.
Dave Pollot takes vintage thrift store paintings and transforms them into contemporary art. By blending in recognizable pop culture elements, into otherwise classical, seen-before-paintings, he creates unique juxtapositions of eras and art.
Mous Lamrabat’s body of work strikes with renewed relevance as it consistently blends the lines between cultures, the present the future and the past, and defies all things “normal”, a reflection of a cross-cultural mind trying to make sense of the world, and a thought-provoking glimpse into a future where elevated art and proper representation could co-exist without compromise.