Surrealism ‘Yemeni style’: Qais Saleh Ahmed ‘Aluan speaks

Qais Saleh Ahmed

Founding member and vice-director of the Bait al-Fann (House of Art) in Yarim (Ibb Governorate), Qais Saleh Ahmed Aluan has participated in several exhibitions around the country, pushing forward the development of Yemeni surrealism. He was awarded the President of the Republic’s Prize to Artists in Dhamar governorate in 2007, and in 2008 his paintings received another prize recognizing him as one of the promising young artists of his generation. Between March 7-14 his work was exhibited at the Bait al-Thaqafa (House of Culture) in Sana’a during the “Young Artists Exhibition.”

Yemen Observer (YO): -How did you start painting?
Qais Saleh Ahmed ‘Aluan (QSAA): -Painting was for me something very basic at the beginning; I did it in a very simple way. I never studied art or painting techniques. I just tried, I tried different ways: I painted landscapes, I used pictures and tried to reproduce what I photographed, then I tried to produce something new and different from the picture. I wanted to get out from the nature of photography: photographs reproduce what is there and I tried to get out from this. I tried to change.  

YO: -How would you describe your style?
QSAA: - My style has always been outside of reality, it has always been surrealism. I always painted in a surrealistic style, but inspired by Yemeni culture, so I describe it as Yemeni surrealism. I try and I use a side of surrealism that expresses something different. For instance here in Sana’a, I use what I see but in order to express another thing, something that is not obviously from Sana’a.  

YO: -Can you explain to us the painting where we see a foot and a cube of sky? 
QSAA: -Here, I use the foot to represent the continuity of walking in a context that is Yemeni. This walking happens specifically in Yemen, this is how I see it. In general, European surrealists can also speak in their paintings about the same thing, but I frame it within a context that you can recognize as Yemeni because there are Yemeni elements in it. I don’t want to be inscribed in surrealism the way we understand it from Europeans. I want to produce a Yemeni surrealist style.  

YO: -Do you always use Yemeni themes in your paintings?
QSAA: -Yes, for example Yemeni heritage is always present in my work. What I try, what we try, is to do something else, something different. For example in the painting where you see a typical window from Sana’a: in a realistic way this is a window but in my painting I try to express something different contained there, inside the window, something that could come out from it. It could be happiness, dreams…something that is not obvious and that can be contained there, inside the window. 

YO: -What are your sources of inspiration?
QSAA: - There are many ideas that are always present in my paintings: Yemeni streets, dancing, architecture, regular people, clothing…many things that belong to the Yemeni environment. 

YO: -What do you want to express using all these ideas?
QSAA: -I think artists do not have one sole idea contained in the painting. In each painting, there is a new idea to be expressed. For example in the painting in red with the cube of sky, there are hopes, the violence of life, colonization. Each painting is an opportunity to express something new, perhaps something basic explained in a new and different way. We try to express new things, from new approaches…paintings in my opinion are like letters, they tell a story, like a poem. 

YO: -Given that you work in Ibb governorate, can you tell us the current situation of art there?
QSAA: -In the past years it has become better because there are many artists and also because of the establishment of the Bait al-Fann. There has been an artistic revolution among young artists. I think this is a phenomenon that can be extended to the entire Republic. 

YO: -How different is the situation for artists in Ibb and Sana’a?
QSAA: -The majority of artists in Yemen try, they are constantly trying to improve the situation of art as a whole. When comparing Ibb and Sana’a, in both cases the situation is different but you see an effort to try to improve things. In terms of themes, they also change from one region to another: in Dhamar for instance, streets and architecture are the main themes; In Ibb landscapes are important, nature, the green lands. 

YO: -What is your opinion about art in Yemen? What are the positive and negative sides of being an artist here?
QSAA: -The positive aspect is that there are famous and talented artists in Yemen, and they have strength and thus try to empower other artists. On the negative side, I am afraid there are many things: for instance, artists do not leave realism, they are always painting in a realistic style and also there is no market for art. Artists paint one, three, ten paintings and do not have a market where they can sell their work. Also in Yemen ideas are more conservative and is difficult to do new things. In any case we all try. 

YO: -In your opinion is there such thing as a surrealist movementin Yemen?
QSAA: -There are young artists working on this style and that use surrealism and focus on a Yemeni style or a Yemeni interpretation of this style. We try at least. There are popular artists for example, who work using Yemeni architecture, civilization, Yemeni people… and they use it in a surrealist way. We all try to develop this, to create something new: new subjects, new ideas. What we try is that, when people see our work outside Yemen without knowing Yemen, they will be able to identify things that are foreign to them and that are representative or unique to Yemen. For instance the painting with the window: the moment you see the window you know is specifically a Yemeni window, you know is strange to you, is not the type of window you would see anywhere. I want people to connect my work to Yemen. 

YO: -What are your future projects?
QSAA: -I have been working as an artist for the past five years, that is my age as an artist, and in terms of my style I have to continue working, continue trying. I am working on new paintings for new exhibitions. It takes several months, two or three, to prepare your work, to work on things you believe and reflect them in your paintings, so I hope to keep doing this.  

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