Blue As a Colour Of a Dream. Interview With Hashim Nasr

by Alexandra Mansilla

Blue As a Colour Of a Dream. Interview With Hashim Nasr

19 Mar 2024

People dressed in white attire, each adorned with large blue cones atop their heads, accompanied by vibrant flowers. You may have encountered these captivating photographs on Instagram (if not, take a look here). Their creator is Hashim Nasr, a Sudanese conceptual artist whose work brims with symbolism and meaning.

Hashim's journey has been marked by challenges. He faced bullying in his childhood, pursued a career as a dentist, but found himself nearly without employment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, he has chosen to pursue photography, aiming to highlight subjects that deeply resonate with him — a task he accomplishes with remarkable skill and insight.

— How did your journey as a photographer begin?

— It has been on and off since 2012, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has started to become more frequent as I became more consistent in documenting my emotions back then, using my hands as an object of expression.

— What was your first camera?

— I never had a lens-based camera until last January. All my past artworks were shot with my phone camera.

— How old were you when you took your first photo?

— I remember my first shots were in college at the age of 22 when I used to love photographing plants and flowers in the college garden.

— It is mentioned on the Al-Tiba9 website: “The art of photography has become like an escape from Hashim's daily work stress and routine.” What kind of work were you involved in?

— I graduated as a dentist and have been practising dentistry for almost seven years now. For the last four years, however, it has become very stressful at work since I have been working two shifts and starting my master's degree. So, photography has become my escape from all the stress.

— Your works are inspired by hands. Why? Do hands have specific significance?

— I believe hands are our most sensual body organs. We feel, touch, shake, and others even see, in case of blindness, and so on. Our hand gestures reveal a lot about the person in front of us. It became an object to translate my tapestry of emotions, especially when we were locked at home restrictions due to COVID-19 since I couldn't photograph other people then.

Instagram: @hashimnsr

— Why do you see beauty in the hands?

— I believe you can tell a lot by looking at someone's hands. For me, they symbolise intimacy and sensuality.

— We can also see a lot of flowers in your works. Why?

— I have always been fascinated by the beauty of flowers and nature, feeling that my soul is deeply connected to their significant beauty and uniqueness.

— On your Instagram, we see many works you created during quarantine. How did you spend that time?

— As a dentist, it was difficult for me to continue working in our clinics. So, I spent most of my time staying in my room, reading, and doing self-portraits.

— What were your feelings during that time?

— Feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, and fear of leaving the house for essentials were prevalent, unlike many of our neighbours and friends, to be honest. Although I am somewhat of an introverted person, I didn't feel much anxiety about going out or meeting people.

Instagram: @hashimnsr

— In June 2022, you wrote a post: “Recently, I have been struggling the most with many things in my life until I suddenly stumbled upon this old photograph of mine, probably when I was five years old. Looking back at my old self was a relieving moment for me; I don't know why, but those "mug eyes" of the kid who used to be bullied told me that everything's gonna be okay someday!” May I ask you to describe that period?

— Although I have a twin brother, as a kid, I spent most of my time at home reading books and magazines. While I was successful academically, I wasn't very active, so being unsocial didn't make me feel welcome among other kids.

I struggled with obesity as a kid since I wasn't involved in many sports activities. Besides, I used to talk in a sort of feminine way, which led to bullying. This subjected me to scrutiny and bullying for years during my primary school. Although this lasted for almost three to five years, it greatly affected my self-esteem until college, where I later rebuilt it on my own.

— Have you ever shown that experience in your art?

— I have once expressed in one of my photographs called "HIM" from the series “A Leap Into a Dream” expressing how difficult it was going through the bullying and body shaming.

“HIM" by Hashim Nasr

— How do you think that experience influenced your personality?

— Though it initially shook my self-esteem and made me less confident in my younger years, I gradually regained that self-assurance as I progressed through college. This experience gave me the confidence to face many obstacles and barriers I have encountered since then, even granting me the ability to survive and excel only if I adapt to new challenges and help others accept their true selves.

— Also, you wrote: “Being recognisable in the art community is something beyond magnificent to me.” Was it difficult for you? Could you please share your journey from being unrecognised to becoming recognised? It could be helpful to others.

— To be honest, it wasn't about how many likes and follows I would get for each post, but rather stemmed from my deep desire to express my profound feelings and emotions to the world. It all begins with the passion to create, regardless of the outcome. It's about the authenticity of the process and the final product, staying true to yourself. Recognition follows naturally as you remain authentic to your core. Gradually, you become familiar with others by sticking to your own genuine style. Good eyes catch good production, and yet the best recognition comes from your fellow artists.

— Your recent works feature a lot of blue colour (even in your older ones). What does it signify for you?

— I call blue the colour of my dreams because it has been my favourite colour since I was a child. I feel it represents my personality as it signifies solitude, spirituality, and serenity.

— In your work “A Leap Into a Dream part XIV,” you depict “two fairies living peacefully on the river bank, fleeing from the hustle and bustle of life.” Why did you portray them with cones on their heads?

— This artwork has much significance and feels like a homage to my grandfather and my memories of him. I remember him working on his farm during his later years when I was a child.

The cones represent the intensity of our current life in contrast to life back then and how it can flourish into something beautiful and special when we reconnect to our roots.

Instagram: @hashimnsr

— By the way, why did you name your collection “A Leap Into a Dream”?

— The first photograph of this series was inspired by a dream I had about an imaginary character swimming in the river Nile with flowers emerging from his eyes. Later, I felt like this series was an invitation for others to dive into the surreal world of my dreams.

— Your series of artwork “Women and The State”. How did you make it? We want to hear the explanation of each element, please.

— I have been contacted by the curator Rahim Shadad, one of the pioneering Sudanese art curators. He asked me and four other female artists with distinguished and diverse artistic styles to create a group exhibition paying homage to the courageous women of Sudan in March 2023, funded by the International IDEA (Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance) in Khartoum. I felt compelled to create an aesthetic perspective using blue cones as a metaphorical representation of the patriarchy in our society. I aim to depict women in states of are glass-ceiled or underrepresented by electoral authorities, reflecting their eagerness to secure their rights.

Instagram: @hashimnsr

— Why are their eyes closed?

— I have this concept of detaching some elements of the photograph to focus on other elements. Mostly I prefer that I cover the models’ faces or even ask them to pose in a certain way or to close their eyes to pull off the viewer being connected to their features and guiding them to connect to the core idea of the Artwork

— How did your cooperation with Al-Tiba9 Gallery start?

— I have been contacted by their founder and curator, Mohamed Benhadj, who expressed their admiration and interest in my series of works. These works express a distinct visual identity that blends both Arab and African identities. From there, we had many online meetings and finally agreed to represent me for wider platforms, including galleries and art fairs.

— Are there any works that you haven’t shared with the world but are ready to tell us about?

— I am working on a personal project that expresses my lifelong journey of self-discovery and love and how much my personality has changed over the years. This project will explore many personal issues I have faced or continue to face, which many people may relate to.

— Can you describe your art in three words?

— Surreal, crafty, intimate.

— What are your plans? Maybe you would like to announce some of your projects.

— Currently, I am working on further developing my ongoing project on war and displacement using conceptual outtake to continue shedding light on the situations in Sudan and the often-unspoken stories accompanying displacement and war

by Alexandra Mansilla