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| eid al adha . 2019 |
i haven't posted for over a month, because i've been catching up on some rest after teaching multiple workshops around the uae during the month of july (see previous post). as exhausting as it was driving around the country, especially in the summer heat, it was rewarding interacting with people from different walks of life and teaching them how to express through art. i hope i've touched people's hearts along the way, and i hope my workshops were inspiring enough to let them release their inner artists more frequently.
with that being said, i've also been exhausted with the lack of organisation by some of the collaborators who set up many of these workshops. it felt like specific organisations were following a trend – let's host art summer camps because everyone else is doing it. there were a couple of encounters where spaces hosting workshops for kids were not taking it seriously – the art workshops were just an activity to keep them occupied until they're taken to a more 'serious' engagement. i won't lie, it felt disrespectful and disheartening. which is why i haven't been inspired to get any work done of late. it's can be very crushing when something you're passionate about seems like a farce to others.
i think i'm slowly coming out of this rut – typing this eid themed post is a good start. to briefly explain the illustrations above: my dear friend and artist layan attari spotted a father and his sons crossing the street with a goat on her drive back home. i was very touched by this visual of a family walking away with a goat in tow to mark the occasion of eid al adha. it felt surreal, funny, biblical, and human, and i had the urge to illustrate it. i think we've all figured out the fate of this poor goat!
ending this post with well wishes – eid mubarak to all those observing. may all your prayers be answered, and may you have hearty meals in the presence of family and loved ones! stay tuned for more frequent posts in the near future. there are a lot of exciting projects and announcements coming very soon. i can't wait to share it with you all...