Arts
‘Talking’ art with her Instagram followers
“At first art was a part of me, with time I became a part of art,” says the 22-year-old artist from Kandy, Fazra Siddeek. Fazra has been drawing since her childhood and in recent years, the self-taught artist has been focusing on social issues through her work.
Protection with freedom
She took her initial step in 2016 maintaining an Instagram page posting regularly whatever she drew on her new project, ‘art with purpose.’ “I saw that art was more than a few sprinkles of colour.I thought it was necessary for me to do something useful, something of purpose,” she told the Sunday Times.
With this project she hopes to inspire people through her work. Her project’s mission is to make people ponder on social issues which are overlooked and to promote greater understanding. “What’s the point in doing something if it doesn’t benefit one another,” she asks. The major purpose of her art, she stresses, is to provoke thought and enlighten people.
“I just have to look around and see what’s happening around me,” she said.Human rights violations, self- harm,war and violence, wealth disparity, class discrimination, social media, health and insecurity are some of the themes and issues that are reflected through her thought provoking works. Fazra says she is strongly influenced by the work of Pawel Kuczynski, a contemporary Polish artist who is known for his satirical work .
Social media has always been her platform. She hopes the daily scrollers will gain more insights through her work. From the feedback she receives, she feels her art influences people positively. “So far they’ve always given me positive responses. I get personal messages appreciating my work. And that keeps me going.”
Currently studying for a bachelor’s in Business Administration, Fazra hopes to start her own studio within the next two years by raising funds through an exhibition. “I call art the language of everyone. If I want to project something, I don’t have to think about language fluency, rather about the logical minds of people. This is a far easier medium of communication than any other.”
She paints out of passion and not with sales in mind she says. Her paintings are sold for Rs.1000 for art on paper, and Rs.2500 to Rs.5000 for canvas creations.
Educational injustice
No second chances
Rich and poor
Social media
Stay united
War