Manar is a multidisciplinary Persian-Arab artist who grew up in Khobar and is currently based in the US. She creates collages and illustrations, does film photography, and self-publishes zines. Her work is a dreamy unfinished narrative.
Can you tell us more about your journey with art and how it started?
I’ve always been in my own world, daydreaming. Art became my outlet for expression. I journaled, doodled, and created mini zines called “notes to self” that were just meant for myself before I started posting online. I’ve picked up film photography in 2016 and I found the beauty in everything. I also delve into mixed media in my collages that are a mix of poetry and visuals. Some of my zine titles are: lucid dreaming, and summer daze.
Your art discusses various political issues and events. Do you think art is able to be a form of activism?
Most definitely! Art communicates the authentic experiences of individuals in their social and political spheres through an expression that can echo through time, whether it be written word, visual art, or music. I’ve always found Arab authors and artists that have written during turmoil in their countries or lives very inspiring, such as Mahmoud Darwish, Ghada Alsamman, Ahmad Matar, and musicians like Mashrou’ Leila.
What themes have you explored through your art and aim to further learn about?
I’ve explored various themes related to home such as belongingness and nostalgia. Growing up and developing values that were not the majority in Saudi Arabia, I have always felt a sense of loneliness. I longed for familiarity, yet I did not feel belongingness anywhere. Questions like “what does home mean” are reoccurring themes in my work. I’ve also been exploring the theme of the mundane. In such a fast era there is little time to take a step back and enjoy the beauty of everyday life, so I try to capture that in my film photography.
How do you navigate the growing art scene as an independent artist? How tools like Instagram help you share your art?
Personally, being an artist is not my area of expertise, it is simply an expression of self. Instagram has made it easy for artists and like-minded people to curate, meet, collaborate, and support each other. It has also created such a beautiful platform for e-magazines in MENA to flourish, such as Jaffat Alaqlam, BANAT collective, and of course Ward.
Follow Manar on Instagram for more of her work.