Zariq and Amak. Photo: Amelia Read
INterview WITH Amak Mahmoodian and Zariq Rosita-Hanif
D6 is honoured to have artists Amak Mahmoodian and Zariq Rosita-Hanif in residence as part of Artists Connecting in Transition. The programme connects displaced artists in the UK, Turkey and Jordan and addresses the challenges of artistic practice in exile.
Over cups of tea and coffee, Amak and Zariq reflected on the residency so far, the journey of their art and both the challenges and necessity of exploring traumatic experiences through art.
Amak Mahmoodian: it’s an interesting time coming out of the pandemic and lockdowns. Since the start of the pandemic it’s been quite isolating and I needed to move through this to get back to being out and about, meeting people, getting to openings and so on. In a way it’s quite confusing - I’ve been tuned into my inner thoughts and not the outer or promotional side. I’m using this residency to think about how I start to talk about and share where my work is.
Zariq Rosita-Hanif: the residency is an opportunity to think about my practice in so many ways and to give it value. The interesting thing is to think about how to convey messages through my art without being too literal or straightforward. I’m observing and discussing with other artists how to create artwork that involves dialogue.
I didn’t receive formal arts education and was a teacher - the focus was on attractive and straightforward work. Now I’m learning that an artist can produce something that has layers - the kind of art you hope will voice pressing matters and serious issues and bring change. But there is a dilemma here as this kind of work isn’t always broadly appealing, which can be necessary to make a living. I’m torn between the two but this is an opportunity to create something that has depth and layers. The residency at D6 is a chance to grow and provoke - to make not just myself uncomfortable but also make other people uncomfortable. But this can be demanding and soul crushing.
AM: yes, there is a responsibility and a challenge when you want to create a response to a violence which you cannot deny. You don’t want to create another trauma for people going through the violence. Sometimes people’s experiences are discussed in terms of numbers or quotas, which is quite a brutal way to talk about their lives.
For four years I worked with 14 people in exile - you do something you believe and then think how. In a way my photographs are trying to tap into their second life - they have dreams of their homeland and their family. I talk about these issues in a different way - in a poetic way closer to humanity.
ZH: I’m finding that to tell my story of upheaval, I’m looking to forgotten figures of the past. For example, from living in Gloucester I've discovered Aethelflaed, an Anglo- Saxon female leader overshadowed by the male figures of her father and brother. But now Gloucester historical society is promoting her as an icon of the city. She reflects the struggle of those disempowered. It’s also a reflection of how transgender issues are not really discussed - whether that’s in countries where it’s forbidden or in more open societies. We are overlooked because of gender discrimination. But all because our stories are not told doesn't mean we are not strong. Our stories need to be unearthed like Aethelflaed’s.
I’m also fusing British and Malaysian heritage. In one painting, I projected the bravery of Aethelflaed through my character fleeing on a hornbill, the vehicle of the Gods according to the legend of Iban community in Malaysia Borneo, to symbolise a dignified journey. But it’s not about romanticising the concept of seeking sanctuary. By being resilient you can be taken for granted so there’s a need to provoke as well. I’m learning there’s a balance - to promote and to provoke!
AM: I’m learning a lot from you Zariq. In some ways I see myself when I first came to the UK and to London in my mid twenties - it became the beginning of everything. You’re wise to think about what you can achieve here at D6 and as something to build on for say the next five years. It’s a process for sure.
D6 looks forward to welcoming Zariq and Amak back to the studio in March.
**EVENT** join the artists in conversation at the Star and Shadow on 28 March 2023, 5-7pm.
**Reserve a free place on Eventbrite here. **
ACT is also bringing partners and artists together in Turkey to explore ways to better support artists in exile at a capacity building workshop led by arthereistanbul with MedeArts, Fanak Fund and D6.
Find out more about ACT here.
Homepage image: cut-out illustration by Zariq Rosita-Hanif
Over cups of tea and coffee, Amak and Zariq reflected on the residency so far, the journey of their art and both the challenges and necessity of exploring traumatic experiences through art.
Amak Mahmoodian: it’s an interesting time coming out of the pandemic and lockdowns. Since the start of the pandemic it’s been quite isolating and I needed to move through this to get back to being out and about, meeting people, getting to openings and so on. In a way it’s quite confusing - I’ve been tuned into my inner thoughts and not the outer or promotional side. I’m using this residency to think about how I start to talk about and share where my work is.
Zariq Rosita-Hanif: the residency is an opportunity to think about my practice in so many ways and to give it value. The interesting thing is to think about how to convey messages through my art without being too literal or straightforward. I’m observing and discussing with other artists how to create artwork that involves dialogue.
I didn’t receive formal arts education and was a teacher - the focus was on attractive and straightforward work. Now I’m learning that an artist can produce something that has layers - the kind of art you hope will voice pressing matters and serious issues and bring change. But there is a dilemma here as this kind of work isn’t always broadly appealing, which can be necessary to make a living. I’m torn between the two but this is an opportunity to create something that has depth and layers. The residency at D6 is a chance to grow and provoke - to make not just myself uncomfortable but also make other people uncomfortable. But this can be demanding and soul crushing.
AM: yes, there is a responsibility and a challenge when you want to create a response to a violence which you cannot deny. You don’t want to create another trauma for people going through the violence. Sometimes people’s experiences are discussed in terms of numbers or quotas, which is quite a brutal way to talk about their lives.
For four years I worked with 14 people in exile - you do something you believe and then think how. In a way my photographs are trying to tap into their second life - they have dreams of their homeland and their family. I talk about these issues in a different way - in a poetic way closer to humanity.
ZH: I’m finding that to tell my story of upheaval, I’m looking to forgotten figures of the past. For example, from living in Gloucester I've discovered Aethelflaed, an Anglo- Saxon female leader overshadowed by the male figures of her father and brother. But now Gloucester historical society is promoting her as an icon of the city. She reflects the struggle of those disempowered. It’s also a reflection of how transgender issues are not really discussed - whether that’s in countries where it’s forbidden or in more open societies. We are overlooked because of gender discrimination. But all because our stories are not told doesn't mean we are not strong. Our stories need to be unearthed like Aethelflaed’s.
I’m also fusing British and Malaysian heritage. In one painting, I projected the bravery of Aethelflaed through my character fleeing on a hornbill, the vehicle of the Gods according to the legend of Iban community in Malaysia Borneo, to symbolise a dignified journey. But it’s not about romanticising the concept of seeking sanctuary. By being resilient you can be taken for granted so there’s a need to provoke as well. I’m learning there’s a balance - to promote and to provoke!
AM: I’m learning a lot from you Zariq. In some ways I see myself when I first came to the UK and to London in my mid twenties - it became the beginning of everything. You’re wise to think about what you can achieve here at D6 and as something to build on for say the next five years. It’s a process for sure.
D6 looks forward to welcoming Zariq and Amak back to the studio in March.
**EVENT** join the artists in conversation at the Star and Shadow on 28 March 2023, 5-7pm.
**Reserve a free place on Eventbrite here. **
ACT is also bringing partners and artists together in Turkey to explore ways to better support artists in exile at a capacity building workshop led by arthereistanbul with MedeArts, Fanak Fund and D6.
Find out more about ACT here.
Homepage image: cut-out illustration by Zariq Rosita-Hanif