Art is subjective. But every artist needs to be given credit where credit is due. And Bahrain has no shortage of talented artists specializing in various mediums. So we thought we could shine a spotlight on some of these artists, in a segment called Local Artist of the Week In Spotlight. Our next feature? A member of Art Attack Krew, Sara Alhassan.
Sara is a multidisciplinary artist and designer. Let’s take a dive into her mind.
Local Artist of the Week
• Could you give our readers a general introduction about yourselves?
My name is Sara Alhassan (1996 born) a Bahraini artist and designer who graduated with a BA in art and design with a minor in fine arts from the University of Bahrain. I am passionately pursuing to experiment with multiple mediums such as oil color painting, ink, sculpturing and 3d works, and more to express my vision and conceptual work while actively engaging in the art scene in Bahrain to raise the cultural awareness of the arts.
My background in the arts comes from a very young age I have always had my own interests in how the world works through human sociology and philosophy and started to paint my own wonderings and fascination for everything since the age of 5 supported by my parents that hobby with art.
I then continued my passion throughout school and later got enrolled early to study architectural interior design which I have loved and studied for 3 years. Until switching to fine art to learn more about the ways concepts affect us as people in real life and I have gained a lot of experience from the way my path got me to so far and I’m in complete trust in what’s more to come and for me to continue learning.
• How and Why did you join Art Attack Krew?
I met the art attack krew while participating in an art event in Karzakan with the colors of the east gallery (2021). I joined the krew shortly after connecting on the same terms of how serious both parties were about the arts and especially the art scene in Bahrain and gained a supporting art family since then, hoping to work hard and ” attack ” more art events together.
• Could you tell us a little about your process? How an idea ultimately becomes a finished piece?
My process consists of inspiration triggers of concepts and visions and a lot of deep analytic research which I enjoy diving into and I later draft some early sketches and compositions to paint on canvas or whatever medium I think would suit the idea best, although I must say some art flows directly out of late-night muses for me and others I like to play with more to perceive in an in-depth meaning kept in the details as I paint loosely and keep the art a bit exposed and have their initial flaws for a raw effect that I think describe my way of things.
• Who are the three artists you admire?
I admire all the many stages art has morphed throughout history to and what it has come to but if I had to choose, I must say Impressionism has always affected me, and John Singer Sargent works especially. His way of gracefully implicating light in his painting has always taken my interest. I have admired as well the movement of Symbolism with its subjectivity and expression of concepts which I had a big fascination with in college studying many artists like Gustav Klimt and how his works were with involvement of the Art Nouveau as well in creating beautiful yet meaningful in the crevasse’s art.
I still get to discover new and profound artists all the time that I get to relate to in different ways that allow me to admire the works of art and the vision and life philosophy and ways of the artists but I can’t say I have identified yet with just one.
• Who are the three artists you’d like to be compared to?
Myself, myself, and myself! An artist should always try and compare his/her progress to their previous self’s and works as there are many artists to admire small or big to compare and challenge ourselves with past or present and in the age of social media. It’s definitely a challenge not to compare constantly to everyone even ones with completely different styles of ours!
I don’t have an idol or anyone I would like to be compared with as nice it might be, art is the way an artist is and no other is better than the prior.
•What wouldn’t you do without?
My oil paints and brushes. But in all honesty, I think an artist can do with anything if it comes to it, I can draw with toothpicks in the sand if creativity strikes! You only need yourself and an inspired mind.
•What memorable responses have you had to your work?
I cherish all the responses to my work from the passerby in galleries to amazing big artists with their pearls of wisdom, but a memorable moment is probably when I made a family happy when they felt like I captured the light so well and the face of their loved one joyfully and they took in the hard work I put in into my work regardless of how far I’m in the world to them being from a tiny island (Bahrain) and they were in America.
The experience gave me a feeling of connectivity through art to all places in the world that to a young 15-year-old kid that I was inspired me to pursue my art and look for these moments where art brings people together and allow them to share an art connection of feelings and humanity through a piece.
•What role do you think art plays in society?
Art to me plays a big part in the culture and identity of societies and countries as well as induvial identities in expressions.
Art can bring us together and relate us through shared visions and experiences as It’s the language we use to speak our truths protest and rise with intelligence and it what separates us from animals and things and gives us the chance to express and feel our emotions, therefore I think it’s one of the crucial things that can bloom societies and civilizations as it did in all history.
•Theres this famous saying, “all good art comes from misery”. Do you agree with that?
Art comes from a lot of different types of emotions and thought processes serving a lot of purposes as well to each artist so no I don’t agree that misery is the only source for good art nor do I think the best art can come from it although art can be a great relief from sadness and troubling thoughts.
•What’s the biggest obstacle you have run into while pursuing art?
There’s a lot of obstacles that can occur while pursuing the arts as it’s an act of vulnerability to express yourself in your work and find your place in the world, one of the biggest obstacles I had to deal with was self-doubt and dealing with my health journey throughout my studying years where I had to balance my life to fit all that I needed to try and learn to become a better artist while figuring out my art style and find a way to sustain it as well to match my future goals and plans.
There are always going to be some obstacles to dealing with being an artist full-time, especially in my country. I believe that as long as there is a passion around, all obstacles will run their courses and the time will come for every artist to be who they intend to be.
Multidisciplinary Indeed!
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