Mohannad Husam is a Multidisciplinary artist from Amman Jordan. His work is inspired by Arabic and Islamic identity and biodiversity. Mohannad uses digital art as a Trojan horse to embed Arabic and Islamic heritage into pop culture. His creative process involves illustration and collage art packed with Ai generated art, with 3D/2D elements and calligraphy, and paint overs.
We talk to Mohannad about redefining digital art, mysticism and technology and the future of Islamic art and culture.
What was your journey to becoming an artist?
A first encounter with the arts is not something a person is likely to forget. The initial experience is never quite enough, and it can often lead to a lifelong love and appreciation for the arts. My journey as an artist began at a young age. At home, I was most often found drawing, tracing, colouring.
How has your heritage, culture and faith influenced your artistic practice?
I would say by forming opinions, instilling values, and unraveling experiences in the real world. All of our expressions are generated by and within our culture. And Using Art as a Trojan horse to embed Arabic\Islamic culture and Intelligence into pop culture.
Your work fuses mysticism and technology, what interests you in particular about this?
A humble try to reach out to the two parts in all of us both (spiritual and material) . Resembled by the mysticism (spiritual) and the material (technology). The mystic challenges technology, and technology inspires the mystic.
You take an innovative approach to Islamic design and entrepreneurship, and are known to say innovation has been central to reconnecting with Islam over generations. What does this mean for Islamic art and culture in the present day?
I recently discovered this term called ontological designing, which is essentially this notion that everything we design is designing us back so there is meaning in making a circle of feedback loops. So observing these feedback loops, upgrading these feedback loops allows us to raise the stage in which we reconnect with Islam.
Which of your works is your favorite and why?
Oh that's easy, it's the (اقرأ / Read) piece. It was the first Piece that I started the whole thing. And it's a good reminder to keep learning.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
My collaboration with the best selling Islamic Spirituality & Poetry Author of “Secrets of Divine Love” Ms. A. Helwa.
Can you tell us about current projects you are working on?
Since Ramadan is around the corner I'm working on a personal project for the blessed month of Ramadan.
In a world of digital media and new technologies, how can we keep growing our Islamic traditions with these new tools?
Technology pace of change requires a new kind of understanding, a new kind of mindset because technological change is exponential. with human intuition about change is linear. In a media-saturated environment we constantly have to sort of reinvent how inspiration is packaged, how it's distributed.
What does the future of Islamic art look like to you in terms of design and technology?
With our capacity to imagine and conceive of what might be combined with the latest innovation of technology I think there is a potential for creating new spaces rather than competing in existing ones.
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