Odd Art: Interview with Bahrain-based artist Dana Baqer

Bahrain Confidential explores the mind of Dana Baqer, a Bahrain-based artist creating trippy and attention-grabbing digital artworks posted on her Instagram page. In this conversation, we talk about her creative process, inspiration, and advice for aspiring artists.

Who are you and what motivated you to get into art?

I’m Dana, just a regular 19-year-old with a big passion for art. Growing up, I’ve always been involved in creative processes, may it be music, painting, photography, or literature. However, for the past year, my focus was on digital art.

The main motivating factor that got me into art is knowing how it works. Something about taking a fragment of your imagination then creating something visible is fascinating to me.

Can you describe your artistic process?

I guess my artistic process starts off with an idea; even one that’s vague. I gather my references, and just start creating.

It doesn’t always turn out the way I envision it to be at first, but I keep at it and layer whatever feels right. It’s mostly just impromptu work where the brainstorming happens during the process, instead of before.

What themes are you exploring?

The pieces I make are definitely odd and none of them really has a theme with the style I have.

Nevertheless, I would say that I am drawn to exploring the ‘unusuality’ of people. If we’re talking about art movement though, I would definitely love to incorporate surrealism in my future pieces.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I draw my inspiration from other artists. Seeing the art that they put out and how dedicated they are to their work always get me going. Inspiration never really has a home; it could come from anywhere at any time without even knowing it.

What does art mean to you?

Art, to me, is, quite frankly speaking, everything. From the music we play in our cars, to the buildings we see outside – the world is made up of what used to only be in the imagination of man – but is now right in front of us. To be human means art.

What advice would you say to aspiring artists?

Keep going. It’s a struggle for many to consistently be involved and producing art, trust me, I’ve been there, and I still am sometimes. But if art is something you really want to build for yourself and your career, then I’d suggest to find a motivating factor and stick with it.

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