An interview with Laila Shawa and Art Dubai. Shawa is represented by October Gallery, one of the fair’s participants last year and this year. 

www.lailashawa.com

Laila ShawaReem Fekri: You were born in Gaza and have returned several times to live and work. Undeniably, it is an important period of time – to be an artist of Palestinian origin and creating influential and thought provoking pieces of work. How do you think your experiences come across within your artistic practices? How would it have been different had you not been born in Palestine and/or returned there as an adult?

Laila Shawa: If I were not born in Palestine, my experiences, culture and perception would have been very different, and that would have reflected in my work and my approach to my work, in terms of medium perception and subject matter.

RF: Your identity as a Palestinian defines much of who you are and you attempt to express the plight and struggle of the Palestinian people within much of your artistic practice. Do you think that being part of a country that war-torn is inherent within when you create work? Do you think it would be possible to create work that is totally separate to you identity?

LS: In my search for my identity, as an artist, I have attempted to separate myself at times from who I am by birth, and I think I did succeed in doing so sometimes ... being chained to who you are can suffocate an artist, and you need to jump outside yourself, and view the world from a different perspective. I think one of my most liberating experiences as an artist was a period I spent in the Rain Forest of Malaysia, where I totally forgot who I was and where I came from. To be totally overwhelmed by the beauty around me was one of the happiest experiences in my life! Forests have no nationality and no politics! It was a very productive and happy period, I totally let go of all my restraints in terms of depicting and experiencing a different reality. But coming back, you are faced again by one's reality, and you revert back to who you are.

RF: You were heavily influenced by Pieter Breughel, who you say you admired because of his depictions of the human condition whilst maintaining a sense of humor within it. In ‘Impossible Dream’ for example you use humor to highlight the balance of the relationships between Eastern tradition and the modern Western world, where in which women who are covered by the traditional hijab are trying to eat an ice-cream with a look of woe in their eyes. Do you think you will continue to use irony within some of your work?

LS: Irony in my work is very much part of my personality. I always look for the absurd, and try to cover it up with humour. Sometimes, being overtly critical offends and the point is missed completely. My last exhibtion in Dubai is a good example - if you can read through it. But some of my work is defintly without humour!

RF: Would you agree that your work is based on a ‘heightened sense of realism’?

I dont think that I have a heightened sense of realism. I think it is more correct to say that I have a heightened sense of reality!

RF: When you returned to Gaza in 1965 you lived there temporarily and worked as an artist, where the infrastructure forms fascinated you and the traces of what people leave behind to show a sign of presence. How would you compare your experiences had you been in Gaza recently? What kind of aesthetic would your work have if you were currently placed within that situation?

If I were to go back to Gaza I would undoubtedly look for images that I can utilise to project this tortured and sad reality. However, I dont think that I could compete with all the horrific images that we all see on TV. I would need to consider very carefully how to project what I see. At the moment, I am already working on a series on Gaza, which I hope will convey my outrage at what happened. One of the most infuriating things that happened is my personal and my family's losses in this barbaric attack. My home was targeted, my sister's home was totally destroyed, and many people that I know personally have lost everything. So it is hard to separate yourself from this reality! I feel compelled to do something about it!

RF: Do you think the increasingly worsening political situation will further affect the aesthetic of your work?

There are artists who influenced my work, there are artists I admire, but there is no one single work that moves me. I react differently to different works, but I cannot tolerate bad art! I dont think the worsening situation in Gaza will affect the aesthetic of my work, unless I fail to have a sense of balance in my images. I think the aesthetic of an image depends predominantly on its composition and its balance even if it depicts uglyness and horror.

RF: Can you describe one of your own favorite pieces of work and why?

I cant think of any favourite work that I have  done. I like some works more than others. again it is a question of balance, but I generally detach from my work once I have done it! Of course I do look back and try to appraise my work objectively, and learn from my mistakes! Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. If I hate a work, I usually destroy it - if it is still with me!
 
RF: Can you describe your favorite piece of work by another artist and why?

As I said before, I like the work of many artists, and each work has a different influence on me at different stages. This changes constantly, as I change my perceptions and my knowledge increases, which I do in terms of art. Obviously, there are works that transcend time, and their beauty and meaning never change!
 
RF: What can you hope for future of Palestinian artists?

 Some Palestinian artists are actually doing amazing work and have international recognition. There are many world organizations who are helping expose the work of Palestinian artists in Palestine. What I wish for is a real opportunity for many Palestinian artists to have the right training and exposure, which can only happen if stability is achieved in their lives, and they no longer are subjected to this brutal occupation which has made their lives hell on earth.

Image courtesy of Artist
© Laila Shawa
The Impossible Dream,18"X24"
Giclee print on Art paper

 

 

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