The 12 winners of the Create & Inspire competition have now returned from their creative adventure in Brazil, which was organised by The Crossway Foundation (UK), in partnership with Art Jameel and Qatar Museums. The winners, from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom were selected for their original and imaginative responses to this year’s competition theme: “The World is not Black & White”.
Here Hala Hesham Makhlouf, 22, who is Egyptian and currently working as a Junior Art Director in Leo Burnett Dubai tells us about herself.
Q: How would you describe your style as an artist?
A: I wouldn’t necessarily say I have a style in my art projects, I tend to rely on experimenting with different mediums. Meaning that sometimes I have an idea in my head for a concept or a thought that I want to express, so I let it sink in a bit until I find the best way to convey that whether it’s through film, experimental animation or an installation.
Q: What is your main source of inspiration?
A: This could be anything really. I’ve realised though that people around me and issues that concern them are the biggest catalyst for ideas I get. I try to observe how people live and talk to them about their personal experiences, from that I find so many fascinating aspects to put across through my work.
Q: What did you learn from the Create & Inspire programme?
A: Getting exposed to different kinds of people and environments drives me to create more projects. Create & Inspire provided the perfect mix for this. On one hand I was introduced to a part of the world that I’ve never been to. Seeing and interacting with the people across cultures is always amazing. There is so much contrast in Brazil between different cities and it’s brilliant to experience and think of how things fit together or rather fail to do so at times. On the other hand, the group of people that are involved in this project have been amazing to be around. The mix of talents from all over the Middle East, the UK and Brazil have been so inspiring on a professional level and more importantly, on a personal level.
Q: Can you sum up the trip to Brazil?
A: I didn’t really have expectations of how this trip would turn out, which has proven to be a really good thing. It was unbelievably motivating and exciting. The exhibition visits, the artist meets and just experiencing a new country with an outstanding group of people had a big impact on me. I’m positive my experience here will stick with me for a very long time.
* Follow Hala on Instagram @makhloufian and on Twitter @hala_mak