Dana Dowmut
@dowmut
Kuwaiti artist Dana Dowmut uses her life experiences as inspiration for her work. She sees her art as a platform for visual therapy which can be seen through her dream-like images. One of the important underlying messages in her work is the representation of the young Arab woman.
What is the main context to your work? Initially, I wanted to promote a platform for visual therapy. To manifest the gratification after recovery when you feel empathic towards all life and the warmth of living is tender. That light I feel is very maternal, feminine, and essential to survival. What messages are you trying to translate through your work? My work can be easily interpreted in different ways. I speak my truths to whoever is there to listen. Representing beyond being a young Arab woman to the Orientalist gaze. Something very powerful about receiving and reflecting light I like to share. Did you always know you wanted to be an artist? It’s always been in me. As much as I strayed away from it sometimes to pursue other things I enjoy, art always peeped its head around the corner. Ever since I was younger my family would commend me for my art. I don’t know what I could’ve missed out on without that positive reinforcement. What inspires your work? I’m one to often feel lost without a grip of time in its chronological form. The possibility of creating a hybrid of my favorite elements from varying time periods is something I felt very benevolent towards. I can feel present, but also feel past and future. My work is inspired predominantly by my life experiences; good or bad. My work reassures anything that feels doesn't exist that it exists. Whether it’s untouched nature, long forgotten tribe, women of the past, they exist. Why do you think art is such an important part of your culture? Art is a form of communication. There is no language barrier in art. Having it be easy/free access to a community larger than the one percent, even on an international level is tolerance in practice. Art reflects people on the most personal level; it’s literally what they see truthfully.