ARTS SPOTLIGHT
“WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW OF MY P I E C E S, I L I K E TO THINK THAT MOST OF MY WORK HAS EMOTIONAL UNDERTONES”
Z
ahraa Al-Saffar’s love of art was first ignited on a trip to Barcelona. Like many who visit the stunning Spanish city, she was in awe of the incredible architectural works by Gaudi. So much so that his infamous Sagrada Familia went on to inspire Zahraa’s theme for a practice GCSE Art Project. “I chose Catalan Modernism and painted the Sagrada Familila whilst also incorporating the use of mosaics,” she recalls. “I definitely wouldn’t say it was a masterpiece. But, being given the freedom to run with my own ideas and not follow any rules was a game changer for me and that’s when I really grew to love creating art.” It’s in that very sentiment that Zahraa’s interest and passion for producing art comes alive. She’s captivated by Arabic and Islamic art – Iraqi in particular. “I love the strong use of colour, the intrinsic patterns and the use of characters to tell a story,” Zahraa explains. “I take a lot of inspiration from Iraqi Artists like Muayad Muhsin and Wassma Al-Agha.” From the sounds of things, you might be deceived into believing that Zahraa is a full-fledged, round-theclock artist – this is not the case. When we discovered her work through our favourite way of searching for hidden local talents – instagram hashtags (of course!), Zahraa humbly admitted that she’s always looked at art as a personal love and hobby – as something alongside her day job that gives her fulfillment as a creative outlet. She also hadn’t shared a lot of her pieces on social media - just with family and friends. In fact, when we (very quickly) decided to feature 52
fact magazine
Zahraa as the arts interview for our annual Ramadan issue, we learned that this talented lady is still spotlight shy when it comes to showcasing a lot of her work. Well, let’s crack that shell! For someone viewing Zahraa’s work for the first time, you’ll see that her pieces embody contemporary visuals, lots of colour and are open for interpretation. “With the exception of a few of my pieces, I like to think that most of my work has emotional undertones,” Zahraa shares. “I love painting characters with their eyes closed and letting the viewer decide the feeling themselves. Are her eyes closed because she’s sad? Thoughtful? In love? You choose. “I’ve had my friends look at my work and argue between themselves on how the characters in my paintings are feeling. My answer is always the same – it’s subjective,” she adds.
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L O V E P A I N T I N G H A R A C T E R S W I T H H E I R E Y E S C L O S E D N D L E T T I N G T H E I E W E R D E C I D E H E F E E L I N G H E M S E L V E S . A R E E R E Y E S C L O S E D E C A U S E S H E ’ S S A D ? H O U G H T F U L ? I N O V E ? Y O U C H O O S E . ”