Artists To Know: Nora Zeid, Marrwan Elhussein, And Mouza

by Alexandra Mansilla

Artists To Know: Nora Zeid, Marrwan Elhussein, And Mouza

4 Feb 2024

Our mission at Sandy Times is to highlight the UAE's most inspiring and talented individuals. We regularly feature creative people who inspire us in our articles to fulfil this mission. Our first review highlighted three artists with diverse styles and backgrounds: Nora Zeid, Marrwan Elhussein, and Mouza. You can follow them on social media and get inspired by the incredible work they produce!

Marrwan Elhussein

Based in Dubai

Instagram: @marwanonthemoon

— What is your name?

— My name is Marrwan Elhussein, but I go by @marwanonthemoon.

— How old are you?

— I am 33, turning 34 in April.

— What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?

— In terms of my career, I am a senior art director at a marketing agency, but personally, I create art, and I have been doing that for as long as I can remember.

— Did you study art?

— I didn’t study art at all; I was completely self-taught through trial and error, making mistakes, and copying influences, all until I developed my own style, where I was comfortable.

— What message do you aim to convey through your work?

— I try to relate to people as much as possible through my work. I want to find human truths and creative truths. I seek them out through my work and expression. All so we feel less lonely in this world.

— Do you have a favourite among your works?

— One of my favourite projects is Gossamer — a photography project that I started with my wife as we were trying to navigate our relationship as creatives. I expanded that to see how other creatives relate to themselves and others through their artistic work.

Instagram: @marwanonthemoon

— How would you describe your artistic style?

— It is ever-evolving and expressive, and I always seek to grow through my style.

— What is your biggest dream or aspiration?

— I aspire to create without boundaries, without inhibition and for my own joy.

— Where do you find inspiration for your work?

— Inspiration comes either externally or internally. I find inspiration in my friends and their thoughts and our conversations. I also find inspiration from my daydreams and thoughts.

— Who has been a significant influence or teacher for you?

— One of the most influential mentors I have had in my career is Ishmil Waterman. He taught me so much about photography and offered me so much knowledge that I wouldn’t have been where I am without.

— Please share your plans for the near future.

— I plan only to create art that brings me joy and happiness, be more selfish about my art and giggle more as I make art. I am currently working on some projects that are still in the planning stage. But I don't want to talk about them just yet.

Nora Zeid

Based in Dubai

Instagram: @itsnorazeid

— What is your name?

— My name is Nora Zeid.

— What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?

— I am an illustrator and a visual artist. I have been drawing for as long as I can remember and have done it professionally for over five years.

— Did you study art? If so, where?

— I took drawing classes growing up, then studied Visual Communication at the American University of Sharjah with a minor in Illustration and Animation.

— What message do you aim to convey through your work?

— I hope to awaken a sense of wonder — or awareness — in my audience towards places and things they might not have noticed before. That is why a big part of my practice illustrates my hometown of Cairo.

Instagram: @itsnorazeid

— Do you have a favourite among your works? What is it about?

— I love this short comic I wrote and illustrated in 2021 titled Over the Bridge. It is about losing myself in the urban layers of Cairo while being stuck in traffic on the bridge on the 6th of October.

— How would you describe your artistic style?

— I would say it is crisp and clear, layered and textured. That description would apply to my coloured and black-and-white works, although I am most known for the latter.

— What is your biggest dream or aspiration?

— I hope to share the feeling of wonder I get when I walk the streets of Cairo with the world. Many places and people there need to be cared for; I hope my work can contribute to that and inspire others to notice the essential areas that need safeguarding in their cities. Also, I want to continue teaching when I can (I give illustration workshops), especially when bridging the gap between the creative and business aspects of what we do.

Instagram: @itsnorazeid

— Where do you find inspiration for your work?

— I usually zone out and watch things around me. It helps me get inspired by the world. Whether it is admiring how my grandmother arranges her stuff on the living room table, watching the birds from my balcony, or observing buildings float by while I am stuck in slow-moving traffic. Another way I find inspiration is by watching movies or shows, listening to music and reading about history.

— What are your favourite places in the city you live in?

— I enjoy going to Alserkal Avenue. There is a quaint bread and tea bar called Pekoe; it is very peaceful, and they have great croissants and beverages. It also has an independent cinema, Cinema Akil, which I often visit.

— Where is your favourite place to work?

— I like working at my desk from home. If not there, then any cafe with an excellent flat white and nice pastries.

— Who has been a significant influence or teacher for you?

— My illustration professor in college, Phil Sheil, was a significant influence. The way he taught me was always balanced between encouraging me and being very strict and firm. He motivated me to go outside my comfort zone and push my boundaries, which ultimately helped me become a better illustrator.

— Please name artists you love.

— I enjoy Sarah Al Adayleh’s axonometric illustrations. Yousef Sabry’s work is also wonderful.

— Please share your plans for the near future.

— I am working on a short graphic novel with the Egyptian Heritage Rescue Foundation. It is about Bayt al-Razzaz in Cairo, which is this beautiful palace, half of which still needs restoration. I am excited to share the palace's story with people who might want to help take care of it.

Mouza Al Hamrani

Based in Ajman

Instagram: @buuuuuzu

— What is your name?

— My name is Mouza Al Hamrani.

— How old are you?

— I am 28 years old.

— What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?

— I currently work as a Community Outreach Coordinator for the Sharjah Art Foundation and I have my art practice on the side as an illustrator and multimedia artist. I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. But I would say I have taken this practice more seriously since 2017.

— Did you study to draw? Where?

— My formal studies barely involved drawing, as I did multimedia design at Zayed University, which consisted of a joint programme between the colleges of art, communications, and information technology. Most of my art classes were in applied arts, not traditional/formal art.

— What message do you aim to convey through your work?

— I am not going to lie and tell you that moving or changing people with my work is a core intention of mine. However, for the sake of myself and the viewer, I intentionally place a lot of humour and play in my work regardless of any severe undertones that could be derived from them. This makes it more enjoyable for me and the viewer, whether they are ready to receive the more “serious” message or just here to watch some cool visuals. I don’t mind either perception of my work; I enjoy turning off my brain occasionally and just looking at work without thinking much. That is what initially drove me into this industry, after all.

Instagram: @buuuuuzu

— Do you have a favourite among your works? What is it about?

— I would have to say “performer.gif” from the end of my fellowship with the Shaikha Salama Foundation is still my favourite, as it marked a transformative point in my career. It was my first installation piece, opening up a wide range of techniques I had never attempted to use before. It has led me to work on similar projects I am very excited about.

— How would you describe your artistic style?

— I would say my style is very pop and vivid, combining graphic design elements akin to movie posters. It is chunky, it is rough, and, for the most part, humorous. I enjoy electric visuals, whether I can achieve that by using the correct combination of colours or by incorporating different techniques such as animation or (more recently) coding and intentional glitching.

— What is your biggest dream or aspiration?

— My current biggest dream is to be able to sleep, then make art for my pleasure, then sleep again and have money to fund all of that to appear magically. It is called a dream for a reason. In terms of aspiration, I want to be successful enough to live off of this, perhaps start a product line or something fun that uses my skills and funds my practice.

— Where do you find inspiration for your work?

— From everyday people and artists I interact with to personal هواجيس and reflections, to media I consume, to dreams my brain conjures up. All of these blend to create ideas for new works.

Instagram: @buuuuuzu

— What are your favourite places in the city you live in?

— I come from Ajman, and my favourite place by far has to be Al Zorah Mangroves. Whenever people ask me about things to do in Ajman, I tell them to go Kayaking by the mangroves and see the flamingos there. It is pretty peaceful.

— Where is your favourite place to work?

— Any good coffee shop with a solid wifi connection! My current favourite spots are Ratios Cafe and Ark Cafe in Sharjah.

— Who has been a significant influence or teacher for you?

— I have been working closely with Salem Al Qassimi from Fikra Design Studio for an ongoing project, and he has been very gracious and helpful with his input and support; I am very grateful for the opportunity to learn from him.

— Please name some artists you love.

— This is always a difficult question. I like TOO many artists that it is a disservice trying to minimise it to one or three. If you insist, I would say I adore the works of Emirati artist Nasir Nasrallah, who is also my colleague and a brilliant artist. In the same vein, Mohammed Al Mohanna from Kuwait is also a brilliant illustrator and animator whose illustrations are too delicate to believe.

— Please share your plans for the near future.

— I am working on my first solo show inshallah with Tashkeel, resulting from a year-long residency with them called the Critical Practices Programme. This will be a fascinating show where I experiment with new-found techniques I have been educating myself during the past year. It is less illustrative but very Mouza-esque in terms of topics and visuals. I am super excited about it!

by Alexandra Mansilla