10 Questions with Dana Al Rashid

Dana Al Rashid is an architect and visual artist from Kuwait. She has created a unique style coined ‘Modern Miniatures’ in which she uses a modernized version of the ancient Persian miniature style to tackle contemporary and relevant topics. Her artwork also focuses on social issues, with historic building preservation, technological advancement vs nature, consumerism, low income expat workers, and the state of the world during the pandemic as common themes. Her artwork has a time traveling quality to it, with heavy referencing from ancient metaphysical manuscripts.

The artwork has been well received, having her own solo digital art gallery at the Khaleeji Art Museum, as well as being published in Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Art & Object, and Kuwait times to name a few. She recently had a gallery concluding her residency stay at the Promenade Culture Center. She continues to explore and expand incorporating different themes and techniques into her artwork.

Dana also has a strong background in journalism. Her work is regularly published in local, regional, as well as international newspapers, magazines, and online publications. She often illustrates and even animates her own articles and poems.

A regular writer in Al Jarida Newspaper, Sekka magazine and Unootha, as well as various contributions in Sail magazine, Kuwait Times, Jeem, Madswirl, and many others. Dana tackles the social issues faced daily with a philosophical bent, be it in article or poetry form. She is bilingual and published work in both Arabic and English.

behance.net/dana_alrashid | @kw.miniature

INTERVIEW

Please introduce yourself to our readers. How is Dana Al Rashid in three words?

That’s an easy one! I’m an architect, visual artist, and writer (journalist).

Your background lies in architecture, but you also work as a visual artist. What prompted you to experiment with art?

I have always been drawing ever since I was a child, so you can say that art came first. If anything, I chose architecture because it is a more creatively bent field than what was available to me at the time, and it has served me well as I have taken many classes about art history, theory, and practice within the curriculum. Design classes have also helped me think beyond the conventional.

How much does your background in architecture influence your work as an artist? Do you find any similarities between the two in terms of approach, creative process, or themes you are interested in?

I feel it makes me more aware of the context, the background, and the ‘world’ that my figures inhabit in a painting. It helps me a lot with creating interesting layouts and tying the work together into something coherent.
I have also created a series of works about historic buildings and modern built heritage in Kuwait; this is directly related to my profession as I work in historic building preservation.

In your work, you blend traditional references, such as the ancient Persian miniature style, with contemporary themes. How did you come up with this idea?
I remember one of my instructors, many years ago, evoking us to visualize Kuwait as a miniature painting with a flat perspective and what we would see then (as he was referring to the traffic congestion and lack of green spaces). It seems that this was when the seed was planted, it stayed dormant for quite a while until it awakened again in 2020 while I was doing my own research on old manuscript art. And of course, it was triggered by all the events that have unfolded ever since (the pandemic and the systemic demolition of Kuwait’s modern built heritage).

In your work, you approach a vast range of themes, from building preservation to social issues. How do you choose which themes you would like to work with?

I choose whichever topic that resonates with me, and I feel strongly about. Sometimes, open calls for magazines and galleries help inspire me as well.

Do artists and art, more in general, have a pivotal role in addressing such themes? And what can we do to raise awareness?
An image is a very powerful thing, especially in the age of the 30-second attention span, so yes, artists can have quite an impact on shaping public opinion. I do feel that artworks that have a message and actually say something are much more relatable to people rather than experimental or purely aesthetic forms, which can be perceived as confusing or elitist, although I do find them to be a necessary contribution to expanding our horizons.
However, I think it can be somewhat arrogant to claim that one is more ‘aware’ than others. In all honesty, nothing bothers me more than art with an agenda or propaganda. So I am coming from a place of self-expression rather than a preaching stance to ‘raise awareness’. My art was merely documenting the moment, meaning that I have witnessed the demolition of the buildings I painted myself, so you can see how some of these paintings are depicting real events, such as ‘The Last Skate’ piece.

In terms of techniques, you primarily work digitally. Why did you choose this medium? And what does it help you achieve?

I love digital art! I think it’s such a shame that it gets such a bad rep, but I can understand why. Many people may use digital media to plagiarize, trace over existing photos and claim them to be theirs, or simply use too many shortcuts, making the work look ‘synthetic.’
I personally love digital media because of the sharpness and accuracy it can give me, and I really like that you can paint anywhere and anytime without taking up much space in storing the artwork, for example. I also like that the works are easier to share online, rather than scanning and editing them, etc. So I really think that digital media is the tool of the future.
With that being said, I believe it is important to have a strong grasp of art fundamentals in traditional media before going digital. I still work on traditional pieces every now and then as they are requested; people seem to value them more despite digital media’s versatility.

As a woman working in contemporary art, what is your perception of the art market? Do you find that this field offers equal opportunities?

If anything, I feel that the opportunities specifically catering to women are quite abundant; what a great time to be alive! The Gulf region is really working hard to create a robust scene for the arts and culture, and I feel it prioritizes people from the region, even more so if they are women. Internationally, the market is somewhat saturated, but there is still a focus on minorities. So, while I may have to try a little harder for international opportunities, there are many venues available.

Speaking of the market, do you have any upcoming exhibitions you would like to share with us?

I am participating in an international artist residency program this April, so hopefully, I will have a gallery afterward!

And lastly, where do you see yourself and your work five years from now?

That’s somewhat of a scary thought! I like how my art is organically growing and where it’s naturally taking me, so I suppose I will just go with the flow. I would love to expand more in terms of media and scale/size, so I am looking forward to it.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.