cursed city of night
ali akhlaqi
interview with i.t.a.
ali akhlaqi welcome to powder. your afghan landscapes transcend into a setting beyond the mundane, where we at powder feel we can float for a while.
Thank you so much.
firstly, ali your paintings are very much of the surrealist genre; which artists are your major influences?
Indeed I have not thought on that yet, perhaps my artist friends in Kabul but I’m not sure.
you work in many different mediums from drawing to sculpture to digital art. which is your preferred medium?
I started with drawing then painting and the rest. The white paper and canvas always make me have visions and think of moments, memories, what I am now and the things I’m engaged with. I prefer what can be wings to my heavy thoughts so that they can fly to the far; namely painting.
when you approach a new work where does the inspiration come from? and once the inspiration comes, what is the process from there?
Artists are typically inspired by their environment. So I get inspiration from family & the society I used to live in, as well as from the community I’m in now. Some of the things around me usually affect my life deeply. These things are coming from both my private & more public life. Their effects get dominant and steady to the extent that they hang my emotions & thoughts, become my main involvement and the subjects of my paintings. Whenever I look into a white canvas, I notice and feel nothing but those effects. Consequently I have to paint them.
do you have a favourite subject matter or does your focus change from work to work?
Yes, there is a favourite one. But it is not me who is following it. It is following me. Always has been. From the moment I was born to now. Of course occasionally I form some pieces without any relation to my key subjects.
you live in kabul. how does the life in kabul shape your work? what is unique to kabul that would shape an artist’s perspective?
In my opinion Kabul is a cursed city of night, which has no comfort, and its day enjoys no light. There is nothing real here. No family. No father. The eyes lie as the colours hold no identity.
Kabul sharpens my subject matters while weakening the motivations of painting.
what is the artistic scene like in kabul? is it a big community?
In clear words, our society holds no dignity & credibility for the artists, as the only supporters for art & Afghan artists in Afghanistan, are going abroad. The artistic scene is not fine. That’s what I can say. For instance the contemporary art & artists are not being accepted by a major part of Afghan art community.
how has life changed in kabul today? what does modern day kabul have to offer a person?
I think the progress and modernization process has grown too swift in Kabul, which is good but many have not been flexible enough to move with it and have lost their identity. They are looking for their place in the today’s modern society with a modernized appearance, traditional belief and upset mind.
you’re originally from wardak province. What is life like there? is it different from the capital?
Yes, life in Wardak has remained too basic and traditional. The difference between the life in Kabul and that of Wardak is like living in a city or village.
what advice would you give to a young person growing up in afghanistan who wants to become an artist?
I don’t want to divert anyone from his/her path but would provide honestly the consequences of being an artist in Afghanistan. I would say that he/she should not expect any backing but challenges & problems. To be an artist would be an eventual death in such a place.
besides other artists what else culturally influences your work?
I can’t remember anything special.
what does twenty fourteen hold for you ali? what projects do you have coming up?
It’s almost meaningless to me, since my mind is always involved with my typical troubles.
Due to problems, lack of facilities & possibilities as well as the frustration, I’m not able to make any great plans. Just try to take part in artistic programs and projects, making sure I don’t miss them.
to speak with an artist like yourself ali, who has a very different style coming out of afghanistan, has been a pleasure. we at powder hope to stay in contact with you into the future. see you out on the road.
friend facebook.com/ali akhlaqi
