Interview: Maryam Al Alawi
Luca Curci talks with Maryam Al Alawi during CONTEMPORARY VENICE – 14th edition at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello in Venice.

Luca Curci: What are your thoughts while you paint? Do you have any habits or rituals while you work?
Maryam Al Alawi: I try to paint with an open mind, with a relaxed body and soul. That is when the best work comes out. I don’t force any feeling on the paper, I only paint and observe the painting when I am done. My ritual usually consists of me having to be in my most comfortable place which is my room at home with my cats.

LC: What is the trigger that leads you to paint?
MAA: My culture has had a huge influence on my artistic journey. I’ve been surrounded by art and artists my whole life. Coming from a rich historical artistic background such as Morocco and Oman is definitely the trigger to my artistic journey. So simply a feeling towards my culture or a feeling I have towards something beautiful or ugly is what inspires me to pick up the brush. If I felt a certain energy trying to escape from my body, painting is the way I let it out. I also believe that my attention to detail and finding happiness in the little things also play an inspiration to me, by seeing the beauty that surrounds me and I try to capture it in an artistic way.

LC: What issues do you intend to deal with in the future?
MAA: I describe myself as a free soul, and because I’m a mixed child I consider myself a citizen of the earth. With my free mind, I sometimes struggle with the societies I live within. With a conservative backgrounds, I would like to be an inspiration point, for more people from Oman especially to explore the modern arts. And to try to find their own unique voices in arts. I’d like them to learn how to become free souls from my work. So basically I hope my work inspires people every day. And by doing that I’d like to start and become a free soul first.

LC: Did your style change over the years? In which way?
MAA: It was very important to me to develop my own unique style as an artist, and I did that by experimenting and indulging myself in every artistic opportunity I face, to find out what I can and can’t be as an artist. I’ve tried every single medium out there to express my feelings as they are a very big part of my life. I am considered to be a sensitive person as described by my family. So at last I landed on expressing myself with abstract portraits with expressions that merely represent different types of feelings we go through every day. And I’m most comfortable using ink on paintings as a medium.

LC: Which art themes do you pursue? What is your preferred subject, if there is any?
MAA: Similarly to what I’ve mentioned before about feelings and how they can be expressed on people’s faces. Just the direction of which your gaze is and the slight smirk or frown can reveal so much of what a person is feeling without them realising. Capturing these key moments of the facial expressions enables me to understand people better, and their character. It is important to connect well with the people around and connect on a deeper level.

LC: Do you agree with our vision of art and what do you think about the theme of the exhibition?
MAA: I believe the success and number of exhibition editions each year is a reason for me to believe in the art vision of ITSLIQUID. The international contemporary art exhibition is an opportunity for artists around the world to gather in the most artistic country there is. It is definitely every artist’s dream.

LC: In which way the artwork presented in our exhibition is connected with the exhibition’s theme?
MAA: My work fits the theme as it is contemporary art that I make, which is the title of the exhibition. The work being in a contemporary exhibition in Venice is what makes contemporary art to grow in the world. Where Venice is known for its art that has lived on for centuries. As Venice has excelled in traditional arts, there is no doubt that it would excel in contemporary and is the best place to showcase and start the journey of the next history of arts.

LC: Did you enjoy cooperating with us?
MAA: I have completely enjoyed my experience and cooperating with ITSLIQUID gallery it has been such an honour and I would love to cooperate with the gallery in future events.

LC: What do you think about ITSLIQUID Platform?
MAA: I believe it’s a successful platform for artists and emerging artists to be a part of. It definitely has a very long history and knowledge of art and has the most amazing art pieces and performances. It does contemporary arts justice.