Eyes on the Prize - Three Jameel nominees share their thoughts

There are ten shortlisted nominees for the contemporary art prize given to practioners influences by the Islamic tradition. Here three of them share their insights and their work. Nasser Al Salem presents Kul and Kul I . Al Salem is the first Saudi Arabian nominee. His calligraphic works redefine the traditional process of this ancient art. Q: How does it feel to be nominated for the Jameel Prize? A: Of course as an artist it was always something that I aspired to, and there is a sense of great achievement, however the sense of achievement is even greater due to the fact that I was able to reach there through the medium of calligraphy. It has so been marginalised in the art world, that to have been able to take it to that level and to breathe new life into it allows me to feel a special sense of accomplishment towards this age-old practice. Q: You are very young, did you expect to be reaching international recognition so early in your career? A: No, in the sense that most established and renowned calligraphers are definitely older in age. I feel very lucky and privileged to have gained recognition at this stage in my life. I never expected to be in such great company. With the extra interest and focus on my work, I feel a much greater sense of responsibility in the significance of the messages that I impart. I consider myself an ambassador for my country, but also for the practice of calligraphy and the role it has to play in the contemporary art world. Nasser Al Salem Q: Your work is very contemporary and at the same time it is rooted in something that dates back centuries - how do you manage to find that balance? A: Calligraphy in its essence is a craft, like carpentry, or like metalwork. Traditional calligraphers are just that, traditional, recreating the art that has been made for centuries. This is of course invaluable, as it is a preservation of culture and heritage, but my aim is different. I seek to utilise it as a vehicle that is a window unto my time, the present. I try to maximise on its potential for communication beyond the mere inscription of the word. Instead of the beauty and perfection of the inscription, I focus on the meaning of the words, which allows me to depict them via any medium I see fit. This makes the work more dynamic, allowing for another layer of concept, and thus engages the viewer beyond the mere act of reading and into the realm of interpretation. This I believe provokes deeper existential contemplation of the work. Q: What is your main source of inspiration? A: The miracle of my own existence is my ultimate inspiration. It's not as narcissistic as it sounds, I assure you. I contemplate the questions that have plagued many before me and plague many still, who are we? Why are we here? Despite all of mankind's achievements, we are miniscule within the magnitude of the universe. Contemplating our place in the world has always been an endless pool of inspiration, leading me on patterns of thought that evolve, change, merge and eventually connect. At the end of the day, it is all worship, my work is the result of my awe in the face of God's creation, and is ultimately a form of 'dhikr' (remembrance of God). Q: People are talking a lot about Saudi art at the moment - why do you think people are so interested in art from your country? A: I could probably write a thesis on this question alone. Probably because we never had much of a presence in the art scene previously, our appearance on the scene is still new and fresh. We've had a bit of a late start so to speak. The idea of contemporary art in the conceptual sense is new to us and we have only just started to use it as a vehicle for expression, but with easy access to the internet and social media tools, we are catching up with a vengeance. Saudi is and has always been a closed-off country and society. It isn't easy to visit, and most of what people know about it is what they see in the media. So it must be shocking to see the quality of the art that is coming out of it, that is not only providing a window onto a very private world, but that is in fact challenging preconceived notions about that world. Concrete Carpet 2010. Concrete and mother of pearl with stainless steel beads. Courtesy of Mathaf. Photo: Marino Solokhov Prolific Lebanese designer Nada Debs displays her trademark minimal mother-of-pearl inlay within a concrete slab and Arabic lettering in this piece originally shown in Munich's Haus Der Kunst in 2010. Q: How does it feel to be nominated for the Jameel Prize? I love walking into to the Jameel Gallery in the V&A because it is full of crafted items. I think of the people who made them, no one knows who they are, there is no ego, people are not doing it for credit, they are just using their energy and effort to produce these items. So the fact that I will be exhibited there is a real honour, it makes me feel I am put on par with these people. Q: Can you tell us about your choice of materials? Usually if you want to say something, you say the opposite so the most recent thing I have come up with is laying mother-of-pearl in concrete. Concrete is a very industrial, flat material it is man-made and mother-of-pearl is a live organic material with contours; the contrast is very appealing. When you put the two together you get harmony. Somewhere in me I have a need to find this because of my upbringing. Q: You were brought up in Japan and later moved back to your native Beirut. You say you hated being an Arab in Japan, is that true? A: Yes, I hated it. I was in real pain and inner turmoil because I didn't fit in anywhere. I was at an international school with many children of missionaries and being Muslim they didn't understand why I wasn't allowed to eat in Ramadan for example and I also didn't fit it with the Japanese. It forced me to begin searching for the link that bonds us all as human beings. Nada Debs. Photo by by Joe Kesserwani Q: Did you find it? A: I found the answer years later in Beirut at the age of 40. It was when I started visiting these workshops and when I found this beautiful craft of mother-of-pearl inlaying. But I felt the beauty of it was lost in the over-the-top, more-is-more tastes of the Arab world. I decided to scale it down so that people could really see it - then maybe they would look at it in a new way. It was popular and I became really prolific. I had finally found that moment when the two things could work together. To this day I get so emotional about it because it was really a lifetime search. Q: What is your main source of inspiration? A: I am drawn to patterns and craft and it is all about that human element, I don't want to lose that. The word handcraft has become so clichéd that people have forgotten what it means. It means working with your hands and you are focused and then you are at peace. Even if you are not doing it, you should at least be able to watch it, because when you watch someone you are also at ease. Q: What are you doing now? A: For now, I am taking a little break from design, I don't want to design another chair or a table, there have been enough. If I'm going to design something, it better be something worthwhile. I feel like there is an essence I want to express. Untitled II, 2012. Archival white ink on black wasli paper. Courtesy of the artist and Sabrina Armani Art Gallery Pakistani Waqas Khan uses permanent ink on paper drawings in a modern interpretation of the miniature painting tradition. Q: How does it feel to be nominated for the Jameel Prize? A: I got surprised when I was found out I was nominated. The other artists are very experienced and I'm just the guy who sits in the corner doing his drawings. It is really amazing to me. I never thought my work could be exhibited. Waqas Khan next to his work Tranquil Pool at Art Dubai Q: How long does it take you do create these intricate drawings? A: I spend about two months on each piece and I work on them every day. It is like writing a diary or a script and I use permanent ink so I cannot make a mistake. I have to concentrate 1000% and I hold the pen with both hands. Q: How did you get your break? A: I went to a gallery in Karachi and she said she didn't have dates for three years other than in Ramadan, when nobody goes out. I told her I didn't care; I just wanted to be hung on the walls so I could dance. Only four people came to the show but they turned out to be the most interesting people. Then I met Salma Tuqan in Lahore two years ago. Q: What is your main source of inspiration? A: The meditative practices of miniature are my inspiration but the only reason I work is to watch people when they look at my work. I want the people to stop, I want them to dance with me and to go inside. What they don't know is that when they get something out of the work, they are giving something to it too.