the year that was...

season's greetings . 2020

this post initially started off as a rant about how bad 2020 was. but i think it's pretty clear everyone had an overall awful year. so instead of stating the obvious, i thought i'd share 20 realisations i learnt in 2020:

20 – i survived 2020 and everything this year threw at me! and that's something to be chuffed about i think...

19 – with all the projects that got postponed or canceled, i still had the opportunity to work on projects that are probably some of my favourites (check out earlier posts from this year).

18 – the art/cultural community here are really cliquey. this realisation really made me sad. but all i have to say about it is 'better alone than badly accompanied'.

17 – longevity is key – i'm going to continue making work i want to make, clique and fad free! and i'm confident that i'll be rewarded for it, whether it's tomorrow or when i've left this world behind.

16 – i do really well with being with myself, and realised that it doesn't come easy to many. i hope i continue to be this way...

15 – laughter is the best medicine. and i laughed so much with my sister(s) at home after sharing our daily happenings and comparing receipts about basic people in our community! call it sibling bonding, we enjoy it...

14 – i don't think i can do any more zoom meetings, or attend online art talks that have the same people involved over and over again. 

13 – 2020 brought out the worst in people, including myself. also, people can't differentiate between critique from opinion. and those that perform on social media are really sad. here's paying less attention to unwanted noise in 2021... 

12 – design is so much cooler than art!

11 – someone told me that my work is the positive energy we needed this year. and i love that.

10 – the art residency at the cultural foundation got me excited again about having a studio practise. i can't wait to go back to my studio in dubai and pick up where i left off, and not just prioritise client-based projects.

09 – i like wearing masks. 

08 – i like hanging out with non-art world friends.

07 – i hope people pay attention to my work the same way they're attentive every time i post an online rant!

06 – 2020 was supposed to be the year i celebrated a decade of my practise (and this blog). unfortunately, that didn't happen. maybe i should celebrate in 2021? commemorative 'khalid says dance' tees anyone? or throw an 'everlasting disco' party maybe?!

05 – social media is the bane of humanity's existence. here's to taking a step back from it next year.

04 – i failed prioritising self care this year. 2021 give me the discipline to succeed.

03 – disco never died! thank you jessie ware, róisín murphy & of course, kylie minogue for releasing albums that made the year so much better.

02 – dancing makes me happy, and i will dance again in 2021.

01 – if this year taught me anything, it's that family are who i need the most when everything's falling apart. they're all i have, and i love them so much.

here's to 2021 not being a repeat of this strange year. 2020 was a reset button, and things needed to get really bad for it to get better (i hope). the world is changing so fast – i guess it's all part of this strange journey called life and we're bound to move with these changes to not be left behind. please 2021, whatever you have in store for us, be good to us all.

i end this post with a 'season's greetings' hand stamped print i made for close friends and loved ones – reach out if you'd like one! i might make this an annual end of year tradition. the visuals are from the work i've been creating during my time at the art residency in abu dhabi (more on that in a future post).

season's greetings and a happy new year to everyone. much love...

  

 

dear dance floor

'dear dance floor' mini comic . 2020

here's my contribution to the second edition of 'corniche' – a comics anthology published by the sharjah art foundation. i'm so happy to be included in both anthologies (to read about last year's corniche, click here).

my contribution this year is 'dear dance floor' – a five page mini comic about my longing for going out to dance. this year was the least i've gone out for a night of dancing because of the covid pandemic, and it's been a very difficult realisation to accept. i felt like i wasn't myself at times, and the opportunity to let out the difficulties of a long, hard week on the dance floor had been taken away from me. i'm hearing about how some of my favourite spaces have not survived this strange year, and have closed their doors permanently. i don't want to think about whether there will be any dance floors left once things go back to normal (whenever that may be). since there's no physical dancing happening in my life, i thought it would be a good idea to create a short comic sharing how i feel. i hope whoever sees this enjoys the end result, and finds it relatable in some way. we're all longing for something that's been lost or missing. let's hope these feelings don't last forever.

thank you nasir nasrallah for having me on board once again in this year's 'corniche' alongside some of the most talented illustrators in town! 'corniche' is now available for purchase at the focal point art book fair (shout out to the focal point team for putting on an amazing fair yet again!), and will also be available at the sharjah art foundation's shop once the fair is over.

below is a little gif of 'dear dance floor' in all it's printed glory! make sure to grab a copy. corniche 2020 is a beautiful book to own...

dear dance floor in corniche . 2020

focal point 2020

focal point art book fair e-vite . 2020

my favourite cultural event in the uae is back! the sharjah art foundation's focal point art book fair is back for a third year and i can't wait! it's the only local event that i get excited for all year and i'm so happy the pandemic didn't cancel this too.

just like every year, a selection of local, regional and international publications will be on display and for sale, from both independent and established publishers, ranging from art books, monographs, comics, zines and other forms of alternative publishing. along with the amazing selection of publications to choose from, there will also be a series of free workshops to attend (with limited capacity of participants) and live music.

i am also happy to announce that a selection of my publications will be available for sale at the fair, including old ones and a couple of mini comics i worked on this year – garden gathering and hoof. i'm also included in the second edition of corniche, a comics anthology with contributions from some of the greatest illustrators in town! more on that in a future blog post, but if you want to know more about last year's edition of corniche, check out the link here. below is a teaser of the wraparound cover for this year's edition, with a beautiful illustration by nasir nasrallah.

focal point will be from 16-19 december 2020. with covid safety precautions in place, attending this year requires booking online and choosing a 2 hour slot during the fair hours in order to manage the crowds. so please make sure to do so – book online here. and for more information and details on this year's edition of focal point, head here. see you all there...

corniche 2020 cover (by nasir nasrallah) . 2020 (courtesy of the sharjah art foundation)