Artist Interview: Zara Hasan
Interview By: Aarusha Pushparajah
Artist Zara Hasan has been interested in art as a young girl and continues to create art as she grows. She is in her fourth year of studying in the Bachelor of Health Sciences program at McMaster University. She considers art to be an escape from the hardships that come along in life. Despite being in a highly demanding university program, she still finds the time to create art as an escape from reality. Her art incorporates many mediums and highlights themes such as: unity and promotion of intersectional identities as well as universal truths and lessons. Her recent art incorporates Arabic calligraphy and she has created an Instagram account that goes by @heartsations to display her pieces.
Interviewer
How did you get into the arts? What peeked your interest in visual arts?
Zara
Ever since I can remember I have always been creating some piece of art. Visual art also fascinated me with its versatility. One of my earliest memories with art is mixing together the colors of the rainbow, and to my surprise, always getting a different color. Therefore, I chose art as the medium through which I would express myself.
Interviewer
How has art influenced your everyday life?
Zara
I have always used art as an outlet to cope with everyday stress, whether it be academic or social. It allows me to reflect on my experiences, helps me gain awareness of my feelings, and helps me identify my motivations. It is a part of my life that I have kept all to my own.
Interviewer
How would you describe your art? (genre, art styles, the purpose of your art etc.)
Zara
My art describes themes I’ve experienced in my life and those that I have contemplated. To illustrate these themes, I experiment with different mediums that can convey the theme appropriately. I try to make my art aesthetically pleasing to as many people as possible, and to my own perception, however, so that the concept and theme is easier to grasp.
Interviewer
Are there any future projects you are looking forward to that you would like to share?
Zara
I am currently looking to create a large-scale Arabic calligraphy piece that explores negative space. Many of my works focus on traditional art styles, but I am excited to experiment with simple yet impactful styles.
Interviewer
Is there any part of being an artist that you especially enjoy?
Zara
I love to make art and am always able to justify its purpose and beauty. I love that art is not subject to the same norms that our social lives are so often.
Interviewer
How would you say your art reflects your identity?
Zara
My art implicitly reflects my identity because creating art is a huge part of how I cope. Explicitly, art displays my emotions and sociopolitical stances.
Interviewer
How would you like to expand your role as an artist in the future? Where would you like your art to take you in the future?
Zara
I would love to continue creating art by experimenting with different mediums. Although I feel very comfortable with acrylics and pencil, I never want to restrict myself to them. As I continue on a path into medicine, I also wanted my art to branch into anatomy. At the end of the day, I want whatever I end up being to hold the capacity for me to introduce art into it.
Interviewer
You mentioned that you have recently begun focusing on Arabic calligraphy as an art style. What makes Arabic calligraphy special? What are the differences and similarities between Western and Arabic calligraphy styles?
Zara
Arabic calligraphy is special to me because it is not only very versatile, but it also allows me to display spiritual themes in my art. The fact that I have begun creating Arabic calligraphy is reflective of my experiences with my own spirituality.
Both Western and Arabic calligraphy aim to effectuate the harmony and movement of the words that are printed. They both also stem from spiritual origins. A difference I feel is prominent to my choice of calligraphy however, is that Arabic calligraphy has maintained its purpose in spiritual grounds, whereas Western calligraphy now presents itself most often under a non-spiritual context.
Interviewer
How do you find time to prioritize creating art while completing a notoriously demanding Bachelor of Health Science?
Zara
It’s definitely difficult to make time for creating art. When I try to schedule it into my day, it never comes to fruition. However, no matter how busy I am, I always find myself going back into my art studio and starting on a new piece of art even if I have a number of deadlines coming up. So I would say that it isn’t that I make time for art or prioritize it, it is the fact that somehow I always end up defaulting to it and ending up with another piece of art.
Editor: Ezel Urul
