Fine Art Personal Statement

The infinite ability to interpret our world and thoughts in new and unique ways is what makes me constantly motivated to create. Creating art is like having a secret all to myself; even if the whole world had seen an artwork that I've made, nobody would truly know the journey that led me to that point and what impact it had on me.

This past year's been crucial for me in my creative practice. I've experimented and enjoyed myself more, mostly because I've learnt to let go of ideas of perfection and focus more on the idea I'm portraying. Especially with my piece "Warehouse", I decided to take more risks and unknown paths and question my own practice. The size of the painting was much larger than I was used to, and I challenged myself further by using oil paints which were one of my least favourite mediums. I tried many other new approaches with this painting that I never would have tried if I didn't take a risk. It ended up being my favourite piece of art that I've made to date.

I strongly believe art is a great way to connect people, as there are many opportunities to do so. One of these opportunities was my work experience at the Manarat Al Saadiyat and Etihad Modern Art Gallery, which gave me a chance to communicate with the curator and artists of the exhibition "Disconnect & Reconnect". This gave me a greater understanding of the importance of connections in this field while teaching me different aspects that go into curating. The experience also really helped me in communication with strangers as I was a guide to groups which made me more confident in talking about art in public. I used this skill during my school's subject taster day, where I helped art subject ambassadors with their presentations. I've always found contentment in helping people achieve what they deserve. I became a subject mentor for art in a global Discord server that aims to help students with revision. By doing so, I can share my current skills with more people in addition to gaining some by hearing a second opinion.

I also connect with people through art in a more literal sense which is reflected in my piece "Human". In this artwork, collaboration was a key part in the process as I got my friends and family to contribute by drawing a butterfly to signify the importance of connections in life. The piece "Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.)" by Félix González-Torres is what inspired me to try art as I found it very moving that the audience could play such a large role in the meaning of a work of art.

Even when I'm not making art, I still continue creating content through other means. In early 2021 I started an Instagram account dedicated to MBTI in which I would create almost daily content. The page took off in a short amount of time and gathered a following of 6k which enabled me to expand. I also got the opportunity to partner with one of the most popular MBTI accounts through which I sold custom avatars. I find that because of the oversaturation of content these days, learning to market yourself and having skills that'll make you stand out from the crowd are essential; especially for the art world that is continuing to grow online everyday having an online presence can provide a large amount of recognition. This opportunity has also taught me a lot of responsibility and time management as I've had to plan out my time to be able to focus on academics as well as pursuing social media.

I'd love to take my experience a step further, as I feel that I have only unlocked the smallest bit of what's possible. In the future, I want to continue to experiment with new media as I'm becoming increasingly interested in the role of technology in art. To study arts at a degree level means I'll have the opportunity where I can fully explore my imagination, continue to take risks and challenge myself, while being in an environment full of like-minded people along with gaining expertise and knowledge from my classes and peers.