When Athier Mousawi told me that he thinks ideas and creativity from “everywhere. Absolutely everywhere,” I believed him.
One needs only to observe the British Iraqi contemporary visual artist’s work for a moment to feel his accumulation of inspiration, from multiple sources and references, that exist together on an immersive plain simultaneously frothing with dynamism and stillness. Not an easy feat.
Through his large-scale use of bold colours, multidimensional compositions, hard edged geometric shapes existing on the same plane as fluid organic forms, Mousawi portrays many things.
Elements of his homeland along with notions of the often-complex diasporic relationship with home and, of course, how nostalgia warps that which we remember, are living through, and see over the horizon. It’s done through with an effortless approach, rich in layers of symbolism and candour.
In this edition of Great Big Questions, Mousawi details his interesting perspective on the highs and lows of starting and finishing a work, to start and his biggest distraction her shares with a full heart.
What’s easier, starting or finishing a project?
There are highs and lows to both. When you begin a project, there’s an infinite optimism, a feeling that you’re about to embark on a visual exploration of an idea you’ve become so obsessed with that it can no longer be contained.
Finishing a project can feel cathartic. You’re confronted with all those manifested ideas. They’re no longer inside you contained within the purity of ideas. Suddenly, they exist outside for everyone to see and of course. The harshest critic will always be the artist.
In short, both starting and finishing are equally wonderful and equally difficult.
How do you know a work is done?
When I can no longer add to it without taking something away from it. A work is finished when it begins to speak for itself and no longer needs me.
What is your biggest distraction from creating work?
Being a father, and I say that with a heart full of love.
What do you do when you feel stuck?
I take a walk, go for a run, read, and listen to loud music.
If you could own any artwork in the world, which one would it be and why?
Probably Under Fire (2008) by Moataz Nasr. It holds so much tension and severity through such a simple idea.
Which creative person would you most like to have dinner with?
Samia Halaby or Victor Wooten.
Where do you think ideas or creativity come from?
Everywhere. Absolutely everywhere.
What is the best advice you received about art, creativity, or the process of working
Become obsessed with your practice. Believe that what you’re doing is important, and believe in the urgency of your voice. The feeling that you’re creating or exploring an idea that has never been created or explored before is a privilege. The best thing you can do is honour that feeling.
About Great Big Questions
What does it really mean to be an artist? Where do ideas come from? Can creativity be taught? The Culturelist’s artist interview series, Great Big Questions, asks every artist the same eight questions, revealing surprising similarities, striking differences and the deeply personal philosophies behind a life devoted to making art.