10 Questions with Ali Fawad

At a very young age, Ali met an older man who frequented the local library and always carried around a wooden box full of random articles about UFOs and the life beyond. Certainly, he was a lot of fun to talk to. He told Ali stories about the possible existence of complex life on other worlds. Ali remembers him saying, "Maybe the Aliens are already among us. If you look at the insects and the bugs from a macro lens, you might find them". For a kid so curious, this led to an ever-ending urge to carefully observe and study bugs while scouring the ETs in them. As a child, he remembers himself playing Sherlock Holmes with his deerstalker hat, a magnifying glass in his hand, walking among the woods looking for bugs.

Ali grew up in an environment where art, in all its forms, was instilled in him, with a Shakespeare teacher for a father. He spent most of his early years replicating illustrations from story books. His keen interest in art and observation developed an enthusiasm to train his mind to discover images in ordinary sights like a stained wall, graveled floor, cloudy sky, or a raging fire. Ali developed a penchant towards Realism. He took pleasure in looking at organic forms and felt embossed surfaces with bare hands. To him things, which are considered commonplace or dull, seem to carry special significance.

Ali was born in 1982 in Quetta, Pakistan. He did his Master's in Computer Science. His computer knowledge, coupled with sculptural skills, have made him a passionate, self-taught digital sculptor/teacher. Ali moved to the United Arab Emirates in 2004 and worked for ten years in the Oilfield Industry. Ali remembers that after completing the long, hectic office hours, he spent sleepless nights studying on his own and practicing sculpting. As a self-taught artist, it was quite a challenging journey, he recalls - 'sailing up the creek without the paddles!'

Ali is working as a Senior Creature Artist at a well-established gaming studio based in Australia. The philosophy behind his works is that nature presents to us objects, shapes and sights in multifarious colors and postures like those in the kaleidoscope. He is one mind with Wordsworth to claim that "the meanest flower that blows can give me thoughts too deep for tears". His consistent desire to understand and study the organic forms led him to attain scuba diving licenses. When he is in the depths, there is a whole new world of fascinating creatures, forms, colors, and textures that he keeps on documenting for his library.

As an instructor, Ali teaches his students to respond to light, shadow, color, values, air, and texture- the abstract qualities of a picture rather than the identity of the subject matter. He also encourages his students to observe and strengthen their imagination, learn to sculpt and give life to both existing and non-existing beings.

artstation.com/alifawad | @ali_fawad82

ARTIST STATEMENT

ART THOU NOT aware of thy Sustainer [through His works]? - how He causes the shadow to lengthen [towards the night] when, had He so willed, He could indeed have made it stand still: but then, We have made the sun its guide; (Surah 25. Al Furqan, Ayah 45 - The Holy Quran)

Although I have not sculpted a honey bee as yet, I find this insect extremely intelligent, for it creates a miracle of beauty and order. Akin to this is the mysterious sequence found in nature, a chain of things, one comes after another, like at one place a baby is born and at another, someone dies; or like seasons in a year; night following the day; the light chasing the shadow or the vice versa. It is this order and discipline that has always fascinated me. God is so kind, and one of the best gifts He has blessed us with is the light - the soul and lifeblood of the universe. It would be well to quote here Merdardo Rosso (1858 - 1928)

“Light being of the essence of our existence, a work of art that is not concerned with light has no right to exist. Without light, it must lack unity and spaciousness - It is bound to be small, paltry, wrongly conceived, based necessarily upon the matter.

My work is concentrated on fantasy creatures. Through working with both camera and computer, I create images that seek to challenge/problematise traditional conceptions of photography, sculpturing, and painting. Techniques and understandings from these fields – such as carving, layering of color or the interplay of light - are used to produce images that capture the spirit/essence of the locality. In addition to the human form, I am extremely inspired by naturalistic forms both land and aquatic beings. Their fascinating skin details, colors and textures always have an unexplainable effect on me.

Inspiration comes to me after I begin to sculpt from a place deep inside my subconscious. Most planning and analysis are put on hold during the sculpting process while my hands and intuition takes over. My hands are often on “auto-pilot” as I work. My artwork approach relies upon four masters, What? Where? Why? And How Much? I call them the “Fantastic Four” It is these forces that help me invent forms, thus allowing me to give each artwork a different visual concept. So on the canvas, it may be conceptual sculpt but indepth, it’s a skillful intertwining of color, light, form, space, air etc. I am using references from nature with the interplay of light and shade, not only to make beautiful artworks but also to symbolically address the dark and difficult times we are passing through. At such times the glimmering ray of light, a moment of attention is what offers us hope and happiness.

My present status as a digital sculptor entails an arduous involvement with my work well over the years. I reached to the conclusion that only hard work and scouring the libraries on the art of sculpting, it certainly required a very keen observation of life and nature. It also required me to use the eye of the lynx to observe all the artwork done by the great masters, especially observing how they affected nuances in their works. The whole journey for me has been like sailing in a paddle boat up the creek. The journey never ends for me as they say, Ars longa, vita Brevis - art is long, and life is short. One lifetime is not enough to express the unending facets or possibilities this cosmos offers.

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. How would you describe Ali Fawad in three words? 

My name is Ali Fawad, and I am currently residing in the United Arab Emirates. I grew up in an artistic environment, by looking at beautiful illustrations in the art and literature books in my father's library. Realism was one thing that always inspired me and put me in a state of awe. I always questioned myself, "how it is done"? I don't remember as to how many a times I have watched the movies like the old KING KONG and the GODZILLA. The realistic visual deception had always thrilled me. To me, as a child, it was all so real.
I am a self-taught digital sculptor/teacher with a keen eye towards form, shape, and silhouette in regards to modeling. My focus and expertise converge toward creating creatures and characters. I always push myself to create unique designs. To achieve that goal, I invest a lot of time in studying animals, insects, and humans. I am working full-time as a Senior Creature Artist at ABLIZMO Games Studio, based in Australia. I have extra skills that I enjoy. I do photography both on land and underwater as a scuba diver. Quality and details are very important to me. I constantly learn and practice to advance my techniques and skills.
The three words that would describe Ali Fawad are Humble, Disciplined, and Serious. 'Humble' as always striving to improve. 'Disciplined' as always dedicated to my artistic work, and 'Serious' as sincere and earnest in my pursuit of creativity.

You grew up with art but studied Computer Science and have worked in the oilfield industry. How did you experience art before becoming an artist? Did you have any form of art in particular that you enjoyed? 

I started practicing and enjoying drawing at a very young age. The strongest memory in my mind are the images that I reproduced - images taken from simple objects like books, school bags, stickers, etc. As I am from an artistic family, my brothers and I would catch a local bus to go to the art center in town to draw. I studied human figure, learned to draw still-life objects, and most importantly, learnt how to observe. This daily practice taught me well - how to look at life.
Later I came across a few stop-motion animation series for children on TV, like PAT & MAT, PINGU, and GUMBY, I bought different polychromatic bars of plasticine and sculpted simple characters.
As I finished my senior school, I decided to do my graduation from one of the renowned art colleges in Pakistan. To study Multimedia Arts, I was required to show them the relevant portfolio. I bought some 3d modeling and animation books, and studied and created some animation projects as my portfolio. Unfortunately, the college didn't grant me admission, declaring that my portfolio better suits the Master's program and not the graduation. Here I decided to study and continue my journey on my own. For graduation, I decided to take computer science - quite relevant to the career I wanted to pursue. After completing my graduation, I continued and finished my Master's program. Later I was offered a job, I accepted and worked in the oilfield industry. There is an old Native American saying; "Certain things catch your eye, but pursue only those that capture your heart." Even though I was working, I never stopped studying on my own what my heart truly wanted. 

And how did you start making art yourself? What inspired you to pursue this career, and how did you choose digital sculpting and 3D digital art? 

As a child, It was quite easy for me to dive into my own imagination, in fact, this still happens to me now! Apart from being passionate about sculpturing and drawing, I always enjoyed playing video games, and truly I still join in with my son and daughter. For a kid so curious, it was very alluring for me to see how the character maneuvers through each level and how the whole story unrolls from start to finish. I recall playing the game "Heart of Darkness" where a certain boy called Andy - out of fear of darkness - sets out in his spaceship to rescue his dog, Whiskey, who was mysteriously kidnapped by the dark force and taken into the dark alien lands. It was this imaginative world that made me get into digital art. I've always loved 3D modeling and picked it up when the "digital sculpturing" software - ZBrush was released back in 2003.

And how would you define yourself as an artist today?

There is a Native American proverb; "Tell me, and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I'll understand". Dreams are the delineation of our mind's ability to create. Art is the manifestation of those dreams that stem from our own thoughtful aptitude. As a self-taught artist, I don't agree with the concept that only people who study art theories for years or obtain art degrees are entitled to be called as "Artists". Many intelligent self-taught artists have left their brilliant artworks behind, that proves their talent and their dedication towards their artistic processes and creations. The key difference between a layman and a real artist is the amount of time they dedicate in improving their artistic skills while enlightening their artwork and their unique styles. Creativity looks easy, but that is completely a staged illusion. It requires years of arduous involvement, hard work, and a keen observation of life and nature. To achieve mastery over one's craft it certainly takes countless hours, but nothing can beat consistency. So when artists are constantly involved in their creative process, they learn and improve every day, and they tend to grow as artists over time. It would be well to quote Michelangelo here; "If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery. It wouldn't seem so wonderful at all".  
In addition to this, one does not require any public confirmation or consent to define oneself as an artist. People feel they could call themselves successful artists once they get the recognition for their artwork from the "artistic community", either by winning an award or putting their artwork in some well-renowned gallery. It's an immature human nature to look for the approval of one's achievements. On the other hand, there are many other brilliant artists who were never acknowledged by the so-called "artistic body". An artist does not need an acknowledgment by any art establishment to be recognized as an artist because an artist's work of art always takes birth from their own creative journey that involves their life experiences, emotions, traumas, dreams, and principles that is uniquely theirs and yet most of the times are unrecognized and ignored by these art establishments.
I guess the most important motive for anybody who calls themselves an artist is despite the challenges that one inevitably encounters in this lifetime; one should always follow one's own inner guiding light, and through consistency, hard work, and devotion, an artist can eventually smash through the creative barriers and can rise to the top while developing their own style and becoming excellent at what they do. Just the way the film industry projects several attributes of life and human experiences and emotions like drama, romance, horror, comedy, thrill, mystery, and action through cinematic effects. The same way an artist - whether a painter, a poet, a dancer, or a musician - creates their artwork to set a dialogue between a viewer and themselves. The journey for me has never been easy, however, it never ends for me here. I think one lifetime is not enough to master and express the unending facets or possibilities this cosmos offers.

In your work, you design fantasy creatures that closely resemble natural animals. What are your sources of inspiration? And how do you use them to create your digital sculptures? 

There is a beautiful saying, "If you talk to the animals, they will talk with you, and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them, you will not know them, and what you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys". From LED bulb that took its inspiration from the fireflies, wind turbines inspired by the fins of humpback whales, bullet trains extracted from the kingfisher, and the concrete taken from the corals, man has always mimicked nature that has always offered him great solutions to countless human problems. We humans do not carry an eye to visualize out of the box, fabricate our own forms or give birth to any idea or invention without seeking a reference from nature. "Nature is perfect, even in its most bizarre compositions". The source of inspiration originates from four different sources: From under the ocean, from the land, from the skies, and from the human mind.
Since childhood, nature has always been a great source of inspiration for me. From finding the insects and observing them under the magnifying glass to watching David Attenborough's and Jane Goodall's documentaries, as well as heading to nature myself, I always loved connecting to mother nature's calm and serene frequency while observing the wealth of wonderful flora and fauna. What a beautiful joy to see an ant clutching a giant leaf in its mandibles and following its colony's specific scent to reach its anthill or the dung beetle rolling the dung balls while orienting itself to the bright stripe of light generated by our Milky Way or a bird singing to attract its mate. Not only this, but examining the wide spectrum of hues and textures has always been an enjoyable experience. It is this love for nature that inspired me to dive in the sea depths as a scuba diver and take photographs both on land and underwater. When I am in the depths, the panorama of the wonderful nature unfolds before me. There is a whole new world of fascinating creatures, colors, and textures. I keep on documenting these references for my library and use them when I sculpt. 

As a self-taught artist, do you have any reference or artist that particularly inspires you and you look up to when creating your work? 

Well, all artists are influenced by others to some degree, chiseling out one's own unique style, and language is very important. This is quite a huge challenge that many artists have to overcome on their unique journey, and this is just a continuous process for even the most successful artists. Discovering this style involves constant exploration, trial and error, and consistency.
My inspiration stems from several traditional and digital artists like Akihito, Jordu Schell, Steve Wang, Simon Lee, Don Lanning, Rob Bliss, Piotr Jabłoński, Jakub Rozalski, Filip Burburan, Allen Williams, Takayuki Takeya, Frank Frazetta, Pascal Blanche to name a few. They all have one thing in common, their unique visual language and style. Their art inspires me a lot, and all it takes is a quick peek at their artworks to get my own creative juices flowing and to get myself motivated to produce my own craft. 

What do you aim to communicate with your creatures? Is there a symbolic aspect behind them?

My artwork orbits around creating creatures both that are non-existent and those that are quite familiar to us earthlings. "Alien Infestation", "Rebirth", and "The Alpha" are some of my artworks that depict the existence of an alien life on some unknown, mysterious exoplanet. The notion behind ETs is quite exciting and scary at the same time. The universe's eerie silence has its own name, "The Fermi Paradox". Physicist Enrico Fermi famously posed the question: "Where is everybody?" Since the beginning of civilization, humanity has wondered whether we are alone in the universe. The belief in extraterrestrial life was considered a fringe viewpoint, more suitable for sci-fi conventions and fans of Star Trek or the X-Files. Today, it's the exact opposite. Those who reject the concept of alien life are considered to be outliers. This change in attitude occurred for several reasons, perhaps none as important as the discovery that exoplanets are everywhere — 100 billion of them in the Milky Way galaxy alone. The search for life beyond Earth is really just getting started. There are plenty of planets in the galaxy, many with similarities to our own. But what we don't know fills volumes. Surely, with so many opportunities for life to flourish, the universe must be teeming with extraterrestrials. The late Stephen Hawking repeatedly warned about the dangers of humankind meeting alien civilizations. He suggested that alien civilizations sufficiently advanced to visit Earth may be hostile. "Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they could reach," he said. "Who knows what the limits would be?
My artwork, "Celebration", portrays life itself. There are some good times and bad ones too. No matter what trials and tribulations one goes through in one's time, even if it feels like being struck by a thunderbolt, no matter how hard life is, one must not forget that there is a bigger purpose behind the existence of our conscious state of dilemmas. The light always trails the shadows. In our saddest times lies the happiest moments, we just have to master how to operate at that frequency and embrace it. Time never remains the same, and life needs to be celebrated, even if it slithers at a very slow pace. Life is a festival, and we celebrate both life and death - the bright and the dark.
"LobMantis", "Vaporizer", "Cassowary", and "Buoyant" are the by-product of the inspiration taken from the most breathtaking critters and the marine animals that are always at our disposal to admire their beauty, their forms, and their textures. There is another Native American proverb that is worth mentioning here - "Honor the sacred. Honor the Earth - our Mother. Honor the Elders. Honor all with whom we share the Earth: Four-leggeds, two-leggeds, winged ones, Swimmers, crawlers, plant and rock people. Walk in balance and beauty."

How important are new technologies for your work? And how do you keep up to date with the latest trends and innovations? 

New technologies have played a major role in art recently, leading to so many opportunities for artists to expand their creativity. For example, 3D printing - who could have thought about the idea to convert their computer-aided 3D designs to solid physical objects; or an artist, with the help of an AI, can pull out many graphics based on the words and phrases they feed in, that can be used later as an initial reference to start with their own artwork. 
Well, I am always on the lookout for new technologies, features, and workflows. Being efficient in many disciplines is good, but it is essential for an artist to be extremely skillful in at least one. I keep myself up to date with the new versions, features, and tools of the software I master. 

Is there anything new you would like to experiment with or incorporate in your work? Any new technology or theme you would like to work on? 

Well, I certainly would love to get involved and sculpt with traditional clay in the future. This would not only help me understand the forms better but also improve my skills as a digital sculptor. 

Finally, what are your plans for the future? Do you have any upcoming projects or exhibitions?

My future plan is to start my own art atelier with my two artist brothers and pass on the gift that we have achieved over the years. A place where quiet, cool light and art practice meet, where easels stand tall and proud, friends walk, and music play. Here we teach, draw, paint and sculpt. All of it together is a physical and a spiritual experience. We are a team of dedicated artists, honest with time, our personal practice, and teaching. Art is a learnability, and anyone can learn art, provided one follows the right direction. Over the years, because of destructive art influence, big talent is lost for the training given to students is mostly subjective. In most of the "art institutions," the idea of imitation is strongly discouraged, not realizing that it is only through studying nature and observing man-made objects one begins to see. The insight is in sight. At this place, we draw a line between the grand and the ordinary, the right and the wrong, the beautiful and the ugly.