“Grace your creative space with care and attention”.
In this interview with Pakistani miniature painter Alina Akbar Malik you can hear her wisdom on caring for her soul and studio at home during confinement. Alina’s work pulls together meaning and symbol in finely brushed drawings and paintings. She was an artist in residence (AiR) during our first Convergence residency in 2016 and has continued to travel as artist since then. This post is part of a series of interviews with former Artists in Residence at Green Olive Arts asking how this season of social distancing and postponed cultural mobility has impacted them.
Green Olive Arts AiR Interview with Alina Akbar Malik
Alina, how have you had to flex or pivot your art practice in this unprecedented season of home confinement? And what are you currently working on in your studio at home?
This uncertain lock down tutored me to stay still, be mindful of the ‘pause’ and realize the essential reason behind my creative process; to disconnect and reconnect, to have meaningful dialogues with the unattended artworks, to do something new, to understand the balance between my studio life and family life and most importantly, to be unapologetically instinctive with my art! Currently in my workspace, I am enjoying the literary indulgence – traveling worldwide through the books, recreating my romance with colors in my artwork, drawing, replicating some master artworks to relate with their language of line and strokes, arranging my materials, redoing the setting the interior and absorbing maximum positive energy from my space!
Recent work in progress …
What does creative community and/or social sanity look like for you right now? How are you staying connected and grounded?
In my evolution as an artist, being associated and connected with the art community, has been tremendously pivotal. I would try never to miss any artist talk, exhibition opening or hosting my creative friends and colleagues at the studio. I was, inadvertently, fueling my anxiety and social pressure without giving myself a break. For me this lock down was and still is, a blessing! I think, it is essential to rejuvenate your sanity and well-being and focus on how to become productive and positive with your own company, in isolation and silence. Creative community however, is still strongly connected and active online, and is coming up with innovative ways of sharing art worldwide!
Alina, painting in her studio at home in Pakistan
What insights about creativity in a time of crisis can you share with other artists? What have you been learning?
I would say artists must spend some mindful quality time in their studio space. Make it a habit to grace the space with all your positive and creative forces, meditate in the space, pin up drawings or paintings on the walls, organize your materials, play with the colors, photograph your space, make it comfortable and give it attention that it deserves! Secondly, read books – lots of them! Bookmark the pages that have inspired you.
I have learned how to focus, how to enjoy the stillness, how to respect my drawings and my space!
Alina’s studio includes space for reading and meditation
Alina’s studio space with inspiration boards of images
Alina’s art can be seen on Behance … and Instagram: @alinaakbarmalik
Click here to see other Covid19 AiR Interviews
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