Assil Diab: Being an Arab Muslim female painting the streets is not always applauded
Assil Diab, is a Sudanese visual artist, graphic designer and graffiti artist based in Doha, Qatar. She is the first female graffiti artist emerging from Qatar and Sudan. Assil graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphics Design. She also holds a diploma in Digital Marketing and a Diploma in Advanced Social Media Marketing & ORM. Known as ‘Sudalove’, today her work consists of mixed media and painting canvases using nothing but spray paint, “Graffiti on Canvas”. Assil’s first solo graffiti project was with SDI Marketing in Qatar where she was commissioned to paint at the Renaissance Hotel in Qatar for Cirque Eloize’s Press Conference. One of her great achievements was when she joined internationally known French-Tunisian artist El Seed in a Calligraffiti Project to paint one of the largest graffiti projects in the world in the Salwa Road Tunnels. Feature photograph by: Ahmed Shaheen  [bctt tweet=”I’m a very quite person in general but once I start talking, it’s through that can” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Photograph by: Tariq Mohammed Al-Fatieh When you are tagging you are basically speaking to the world through street art. From the responses you have had so far do people actually get the message? Being an Arab, Muslim female painting the streets is not always applauded. I’m a very quite person in general but once I start talking, it’s through that can.Graffiti is visually appealing because it is public art. It’s literally putting your art, thoughts, and feelings in people’s faces. Public art has the power to evoke thought and start dialogues. It is my way of communicating with society. Tell us about the very first time you decided to hit the walls. What was the first tag and how was it received? I started doing making art on paper and painting on t-shirts and shoes in my early teens. Then about three years ago, at the age of 25, I began taking it up as a profession. I used to see graffiti everywhere while riding the metro in New York- where I was doing my internship as a photographer & graphic designer in Brooklyn. I was fascinated by graffiti, with all its shapes and colors. I loved what I was seeing on the streets and I wanted to be a part of it. I’ve always liked challenging myself to see what I could do. So in 2013 I joined Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ and Qatar Museums Authority. I joined on a 4-month long internship to assist Tunisian-French calligraphist, El Seed, in painting the Salwa Road Tunnels; and that’s where I picked up a spray can for the first time. I have never put the spray can down since those intense 4 months of graffiti. My first exhibition was in VCU-Q Bookstore where I sold 9 paintings of 13 in just two days. The paintings were painted using nothing but spray paint aka “Graffiti on Canvas”. I later switched my signature from my original name assil.diab to SudaLove. Which is my way of expressing my love and represents my home country, Sudan. Photograph by: Ahmed Shaheen  There can be negative connotations associated with graffiti. What do you wish people knew? Graffiti is not just for men. It’s not all about hip-hop, or gang-related, and it doesn’t have to be illegal. Most people don’t take it seriously and fail to see it as a profession. In fact, most of my work is commissioned, so I do get paid for it. Also, often, people confuse mural art for graffiti or vice versa. There is a difference. There are no governing laws or rules to graffiti. Graffiti Is faster/quicker. But, there’s a lot of thought process & sketching when it comes to mural art, also, you don’t tend to use only spray paint when painting a mural. Do you ever collaborate? I’m working on a collaboration right now actually. I’m working with three local artists painting Aspire in Doha, Qatar. The first time I worked with these guys was in December 2016 painting in Katara. Besides these two collaborations I have only done exhibition collabs- where we all showcased our work on canvas in a particular hotel or gallery. Photograph by: Tariq Mohammed Al-Fatieh Approximately how much time do you devote to art? From the time I wake to whenever I need to go back to sleep. If I am not painting, I’m thinking about a sketch way before it needs to go up on a wall or canvas. My surroundings are full of art. I spend even more time looking at art, visiting museums, galleries, events, sketching and writing emails at least two hours a day talking about art. Or responding to emails that involve or commission artwork. [bctt tweet=”Even on the days when I don’t feel creative, I still have a consistent work ethic” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Are you still working on fashion as well? Yes, I get special, sometimes unusual requests for T-shirt designs. As a fashion designer, I do not specialize in one category of apparel- I hand paint T-shirts, shoes and hats. I’m also working on a collection of Sudanese women’s “teyabs” using contemporary designs for the younger generation. In 2010, I worked as an intern fashion photographer at Katya Moorman’s Style Defined NYC in Brooklyn, New York. I was also assisting with the design of the marketing materials for Better Than Kate, an award winning street style blog. In addition to taking various courses in fashion design, my graphic design degree provides the required skills for fashion. Photograph by: Tariq Mohammed Al-Fatieh What is your creative process is like? I practice a lot of sketching in my little black book. Sometimes I’ll scan a sketch and enhance it on illustrator or a similar program. Sketching helps me grow and develop. I get inspired by everything – religion, politics, travel, culture, earth, feelings and reading. When I’m interested in developing a new technique in graffiti, specifically, I go out and find a wall to practice on until it’s mastered. Even on the
Omnia and Salma: We want to connect the Sudans using culture and technology
Sudan and South Sudan have been under fire for decades from the perils of civil war, famine, poverty, corruption, Islamic jihad and other crisis that affect the countries politically, socially and economically as well as culturally. Omnia Shawkat and Salma Amin Saad decided to build a contemporary platform to voice independent opinions of the diverse, intelligent, and peaceful youth that diverge massively from the mainstream that places them in tiny status-quo boxes. Omnia and Salma started the online magazine Andariya for Sudan & South Sudan in both English and Arabic to lifting our spirits, sharing contemporary analysis and opinions & promoting creative arts ideas and events. Since the launch of the magazine they’ve also launched a photography project titled “MyKhartoum” to show the beauty of the capital city with a series focused on Juba coming soon. Omnia and Salma shared with us why online media is so important, why Andariya is different and what they’ve learned about organic growth. Why do you think digital media matters in Sudan and South Sudan? Sudan and South Sudan have a shared cross-border culture that was severed along with the political ties in July 2011. The current generation witnessed a tough time of great polarization and we had no time to heal, reconcile or mend our broken matter when the political secession came upon. This need to open the road of communication is one great reason why digital media matters right now; it transcends boundaries. The publishing industry is also lagging behind due to many factors (economic, censorship, access, language etc.) and a way to overcome some of these challenges and reach and engage a wider audience that is already online, beyond even the Sudans (there is a massive diaspora population from both countries) is through the use of digital media of various types. What role would you like Andariya to play in the development of these two countries? Our mandate is purely cultural, so if we are to perfect our mandate, the cultural footprint of the Sudans on the internet will be enhanced along with more offline engagement due to the conversations that spring up online. One underlying factor is to really connect both countries (both local and diaspora communities) over intersecting cultural values, opinions & aspirations. Both Sudans are in similar development stages, and cultural development is key in advancing all the other pillars of development. What makes Andariya different from other youth-focused media platforms? There are the basic building blocks of being a bi-lingual digital cultural platform for South Sudan and Sudan. We target a larger age group- for once, the “youth” or younger generation is online and discussing matters of importance to them in a common platform that welcomes all views. More importantly, we are discussing issues that older generations have exclusively hashed out over the last few decades (i.e. identity issues, culture and acculturation, etc.) and adding our perspectives to the conversation. Another differentiating factor is our belief in using different mediums to reach diverse audiences. We’re across social media platforms but slowly growing into creating online-offline campaigns to engage more people. Can you share your favourite story from the platform and why? The way our community was formed is both interesting and inspiring; we practically found each other as if we were long lost souls. We have an incredibly harmonious relationship with more than 50 community members across the world, and we treasure this the most. For your business to get to the next level, would you prefer funding or a high-value mentor? We’d prefer to have a mentor to help us reach that next level. We’re a very hands-on platform that organically adapts to challenges and opportunities and finding a mentor who can understand the climate we operate in and growth we’re aspiring to would be invaluable. So far, we’ve taught ourselves what we discovered was needed, but a community of more than 50 people also means everyone brings wisdom and creativity to the table, so we’d like to think we’re currently being internally mentored. What can we expect to see from Andariya over the next 6 months? We’re launching a new website so we expect editorial growth. Our business model has shifted massively in the last four or five months so we’re experimenting with more offline engagement. A few online projects are also in the works. We are actively pursuing expanding our network and partnerships base both inside the Sudans and outside. What is the most important thing you’ve learned on your journey towards building Andariya? Be flexible. Organic evolution can be disruptive but can also be harmonious. Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.