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Hushang Omidizadeh: I feel at home when I am painting
Hushang Omidizadeh: I feel at home when I am painting
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Is an artist a hobby for you, a way of life or a profession?
Art is much more than just a hobby for me. Art has been my faithful companion and my means of expressing and processing my emotions and thoughts. I started painting when I was young, and art simultaneously became my salvation and refuge. My entire life characterized by shifts and changes, but painting has always been there.
I’ve never really stayed in one place for long. I don’t feel the need for a regular home. I feel at home when I am painting. That hasn’t changed over time.
And even though I haven’t made money from my art yet, I’ve been working as an Art Director to support myself.
Being an artist is a part of my DNA. I’ve been making a living as an Art Director, but now I’m focusing more on my own art and creative projects.
Can you describe your creative style?
I’ve traveled extensively and witnessed a great deal. My primary fascination lies in the human being and their social surroundings. That’s why I find myself traveling frequently and constantly shifting my place of residence.
The creative process always commences within my mind. Often, I sketch out my ideas right in my head as I navigate through my environment. These mental sketches sometimes take on an abstract form and at other times, they become more figurative.
My art is essentially the expression of my feelings and thoughts. As a result, many of my artworks come into existence intuitively and spontaneously – straight from my gut. The human being is often the central subject in my art.
The series of artworks I’m showcasing at FXLB is titled “Never Ever,” and it was created between 2022 and 2023. During this particular timeframe, I lived in London and Paris. Being captivated by street art for numerous years, I painted several large pieces on high walls.
Current events such as the worldwide oppression of individuals, especially women in countries like Iran, are pivotal subjects that deeply resonate with me as a person and an individual.
During my stay in London and upon returning to Germany, I embarked on a series of portraits featuring women who exude both strength and resilience while simultaneously contending with political and societal subjugation. I’ve wholeheartedly embraced this theme in a street art style.The pieces present themselves as if they’ve been painted over or blurred on the wall multiple times.
The painting backgrounds are adorned with torn newspaper, posters, and graffiti, invoking a potent resemblance to street art found right on the bustling streets themselves.
Where did you study art/photography? Are you self taught?
I’ve always known that I would become an artist. The visual realm, from painting to design, has always been my domain. I studied visual communication and design in Munich and spent many years actively and successfully working as an Art Director in the fields of fashion and lifestyle.
I’ve been fortunate enough to channel my artistic skills into my role as an Art Director and Designer, crafting my own unique style for clients. Simultaneously, I’ve been painting, drawing, and photographing extensively. Contemporary art has consistently captivated me, and I has been engaging with it deeply.
How and where do you get your inspiration from?
Iam a visual person at the core, so “the world in images” fuels my creativity. I absorb countless mental images like a sponge, and they subconsciously find their way into my artworks.
My travels brought me face-to-face with diverse environments and people and that has been a great source of inspiration.
Giving your images a 'recognizable' appearance, could you walk us through the process of creating an illustration, from its conception as an idea to its final realization?
The “Never Ever” series is heavily influenced by the fundamental themes of societal constraints and oppression. I’ve translated this series entirely into a street art style.
My desire to create often come to me randomly and spontaneously. At the beginning, I spend hours or even days sketching around, whether it’s on the street or in the studio. I experiment with colors, materials, and forms. Occasionally, I continue working on my computer, revisiting my digital concepts, sketching on the screen, or experimenting with different elements. I often discard numerous sketches and ideas, setting them aside and sometimes forgetting about them.
To achieve the look of my artworks in these series, I prepared the painting backgrounds in advance. I adhere newspaper and posters, splatter paint onto them, scratch them with a spatula, spray them with paint, creating colors and textures. Some of these backgrounds are made from posters I’ve torn off walls in London, Berlin, and Paris. These painting backgrounds take up to several days to develop.
The “figures” appear as if they’re struggling forward from the background, emerging and standing out. They exude a certain strength and vulnerability simultaneously. Their eyes are sometimes covered, and their mouths as well. I specially use processed torn pieces of paper for this purpose.
In the end, I leave the artworks outside for several days, exposed to the influence of sun, rain, and snow. This allows them to meld with the canvas and develop their authentic surface.
As you see, my artworks go through quite a journey. This is how they acquire their distinct look, one that’s almost like a story etched onto them.
An artist needs not only emotional nourishment, but also professional growth. How do you hone your skills?
Even as a child, I had the talent to draw and paint realistically, using traditional methods with great skill. Over the years, I felt an increasingly strong desire to distill my painting down to its essence. Today, I do paint both abstractly and figuratively, depending on my mood and the subject matter.
As a graphic designer, I’m also influenced by graphic elements in my work. Photography leaves its mark on my creations. Above all, I’m always curious about the new, the unusual, and the unexpected. I’ve been working and creating digitally and experimentally for many years now. In this way, my art is constantly evolving.
What is the main message behind your art?
Above all, I want to convey: I am a visual person, an artist, and an aesthete. I don’t aim to instruct people in any way through my art neither intend to present viewers with concrete statements in my images. Rather, my goal is to emotionally engage people with my artwork and evoke their own feelings, depending on how they perceive my images.
I’m stirred by current topics of our world, such as individual freedom, basic human rights, oppression, and other issues. Equally, I’m moved by beauty and aesthetics. All of these aspects, I strive to depict in my artworks and I hope that those who encounter my works are moved by them, finding inspiration in what they see.
What is your favorite work of art that you created? And why?
A tricky question.I usually try to steer clear of answering such questions. But I’ll still give it a shot:
Perhaps my work titled “Never Ever 03”. Despite its somber underlying theme, it’s a hopeful piece. Maybe because it’s surrounded by vibrant, striking pink and blue, radiating more positivity. More hope.
Who are the artists/people who inspire you?
Several personalities have inspired me. As an artist, I’m inspired by the color sensitivity of “Edouard Monet” and “Van Gogh”, the compositional brilliance of “Pablo Picasso”, the expressive power of “Egon Schiele”, and the critical staging of “Banksy”.
As a Fashion Art Director, “David Downtown” and “Tony Viramontes” inspire me with their powerful yet clear line work.
You also have a full time job in the advertisement agency. Is it difficult to combine it with being an artist?
I’ve mostly been fortunate to integrate my artistic and creative ideas into my work as an Art Director and within my advertising agency for my clients. Of course, it wasn’t always possible to dedicate ample time solely to my art, given the demands of my role.
However, for several years now, I’ve allowed myself to work less in the advertising agency and instead allocate a significant amount of time to my art. It required a major shift and a lot of determination, but I’m content with my decision today, even if it means making many compromises in life.
Now, I paint and create for myself and my art, rarely taking on Art Director assignments. Nonetheless, living solely as an artist can be challenging.
What do you dream to achieve with your art?
I hope to have the opportunity to share my work with a broader audience. My deepest wish is to emotionally touch people through my art, perhaps provoke contemplation in individuals and simply evoke a sense of beauty. And, of course, I want to make a living from my art and feel the freedom that I value most in life.
Art, to me, signifies freedom, and art thrives on freedom.
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