COVID19
Mural artist Shahul Hameed unravels his secrets to remaining cheerful, positive and hopeful as we endure these stressful times while staying at home.
Shahul. Staying at home and making art! These are challenging times, but I came up with new ideas for working at home. I'm trying my best to stay positive. I think this is a brilliant opportunity to spend time with our loved ones. This is also a perfect time to catch up with things you've missed. One of the best ways to spend time is to do what you like.
Shahul. Art block stems from lack of motivation and inspiration, but I create illustrations that reflect my perception of the current situation, emotions that provoked me by news, discussions and trends on social media. Therefore, I don't experience art blocks. I'm using this time to interact with my followers on social media. Through such interactions, I can understand what people like and what they want to see.
Shahul. Yes, I always wanted to share my passion with my family. By combining my art and my wife's fondness for interior designing we created something unique. I realised that we can lighten our mood by lightening others' spirits, so we did our best to remain positive and weaved little moments of happiness together. We want to spread this hope and positivity because we all need it right now.
Shahul. This stay at home order has brought the most significant shift, especially in expats' lives. As the stay at home orders have been issued, the expats are all confined to a densely packed multi-storey building. I did a lot of illustrations to educate people about this issue.
Shahul. Art is created to communicate and to inspire us to act and think. I believe it has the power to change society. My recent illustrations are all about 'stay home, stay safe and enjoy comfort'. I think it is sufficient for us to sustain our health and happiness at this moment. Take measures to remain optimistic and mindful. Practice self-love, especially now. We must spread hope and positivity.
Shahul. All my projects are commissioned by art galleries and corporate, therefore they provide the safety measures. My projects and livelihood remained safe and intact.
Shahul. My favourite mural created during the stay home order is 'Expat'. When our world is threatened by a pandemic, the expatriates are worried about life, security and wages. Several of them are stranded here. These are people who came as visitors, as students, as business personals to name a few. There are several uninsured patients and pregnant women. I tried to bring out these problems through my illustration. Expatriates should be treated as human beings.
Shahul. It began with a simple desire to see my drawings on a bigger scale. Over the years, I began enjoying it more and started appreciating the dialogue which public spaces create between my work and the people around it. It feels great to interact with people who stop to watch me and take photographs of my works. I enjoy their interpretations. And now, I simply love this work.
Shahul. I believe culture impacts society and the individuals within it. I take inspirations from everyday scenes and contemporary life. My art is an aesthetic reflection of the modern age.
Shahul. I love to play with colours. My colour palette renders a unique satiating effect on the onlookers and the concept of colour gradation is pleasingly inoculated to create ripples of shades, which root to limited colours but create visual imagery of multiple hues.
