Check out Rusul Emad’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rusul Emad.

Rusul, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I came to the United States nearly 10 years ago, after having moved a great deal around the world in search of a stable life. I was born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq during the struggle of wars, sanctions and shortage, something that has impacted both my life and work. After the start of the last conflict in 2003, my family left the country searching for a better life in Syria. I lived there for almost three years studying civil engineering which is far from the art world but perhaps still impacts the way I view art. Moving from one country to another has a lot of benefits, mostly the ability to appreciate ones’ circumstances. Despite the difficulties of conflict, I have a great deal of beautiful memories and stories throughout my childhood, something that really is imparted in my work. When I initially arrived, it was a quite challenge to blend into a new society, but an adventure nonetheless. All these events helped me refine my memories of doodles I would draw in the lines of my classroom notebook as a child, leading to my pursuit of my true passion- painting. My husband and extended family really supported my art from the beginning, which has really help push me forward. My young daughter is even an aspiring little artist.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I use oil on Masonite boards primarily to create works of magic realism and surrealist art. I represent my works in a characteristic technique. My work is mostly a reflection of memories, imagination or life experiences that live in my conscious or subconscious. My family often says I am a “dream painter”, as I often times see a full image in my dreams, and sometimes wake up immediately to sketch the scene before it is forgotten by the morning time. Our dreams are precious, being able to control and understand when you are dreaming is important to committing that to a clear memory, which is a real challenge. I like to create art that has a story and compels the viewer to explore more beyond just briefly looking at a painting and saying “looks nice”. Just laying colors on a surface without soul doesn’t inspire me personally, so I try to push myself to bring a story no matter the subject. My wish is to have the audience feel the struggle that I faced in each painting as well as the moment of pure joy upon its completion. From a professional standpoint, I am inspired by the works of Remedios Varo and Lenora Carrington. I adore their work and view myself as continuing a style that they symbolize.

The stereotype of a starving artist scares away many potentially talented artists from pursuing art – any advice or thoughts about how to deal with the financial concerns an aspiring artist might be concerned about?
There is always struggle in everything, especially if you want to reach your goal. Our time is different than the generations before us, there are many options for marketing art work, such us social media, websites and broader platforms for selling, all of which makes the art world “smaller“. That said, I can’t deny that is hard to get established as there is so many artists out there looking for a chance, it becomes difficult to compete for gallery space. Art tells stories, teaches people history, exposes the truth and brings joy to people. As artists, our job is to tell those stories, I almost feel it as an obligation. If you are passionate about something, if you truly care about what you are doing than you find a way to make it happen, financial challenges included. Working a “day job” is of course necessary as you being, which can be hard as there is no real clear defined path for a new artist to get visibility, there are many new remarkable up and coming artists that have amazing talent waiting to be discovered, who may never be known because they aren’t able to market themselves correctly. It really comes down to luck more often than not, driven by the will to survive.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Everyone can see my work through my website, Instagram (artbyrusul) and {9} The Gallery website. My website has updates on my upcoming shows, I encourage people to see my work in person as there is many small details that really can’t be seen or appreciated until witnessed in person. Watching people view my paintings, as I often sneak in to watch during exhibits, is really quite satisfying. My only hope is for everyone to enjoy!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.rusulemad.com/
• Email: artbyrusul@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbyrusul/

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.