TAKING inspiration from her own thoughts, experiences and sometimes dreams, Ilham Alshahabâs narrative art may appear ambiguous at first look.
But its recurring themes of absence, solitude and peace have served as touchpoints for viewers to contemplate.
The 23-year-old interdisciplinary artist said: âCreating pieces that asks people to pay attention has made me more receptive to the world around me. This world is vast, and Iâm always picking up symbols and patterns out there and connecting them with my own experiences.
âIâve learnt a lot about myself this way and it has helped me learn about how other people think too.â
As she translates her real life experiences and gives them new meaning through mysterious storytelling, suggestive of fictitious reality and the symbolic unknown, Ilhamâs comic-like illustrations and animation can help frame alternative perspectives of the world.
âI am definitely who I am today because of works by Maria Medem, Max Ernst and Hergeì. Something about their work just speaks to me while being so quiet, like a silent nod you give someone when your eyes meet. I like how that feels,â she added.
