All the Small Things: Interview with Emirati Artist Nasir Nasrallah

If you happen to be in Sharjah and stumble upon a card with a curious rabbit illustration, at a café or ATM machine, flip it over and check for the question you get on the other side. A playful project that has locals scouting the nooks and crannies of their daily haunts, “Rabbit the Question” (2013– ), by Sharjah-based Nasir Nasrallah, has become a collector’s item that is inspiring people to engage with and be more attuned to their surroundings. Creating such exchanges with the public lies at the heart of Nasrallah’s installation-based practice. In recent years, he has produced various “machines”—using everything from knick-knacks and everyday objects to songs and participants’ stories—to create an alternative space for contemplation and imagination. In Sharjah, ArtAsiaPacific spoke to the 30-year-old artist about his stirs of whimsy and the various hats he wears as artist, government art administrator, curator and publisher. 

Your first career was as an engineer. What led you to change professions and become an artist?

I worked as a telecommunication engineer. I started studying engineering in high school, but at the time I wasn’t very sure what I wanted to do. Even while taking those courses, I felt like something was missing. So when I got my driver’s license, I started going to the Emirates Fine Arts Society (EFAS). One day I went with my sketches and met one of the artists. He told me that my lines were good but that I needed more practice. It was there where I also met Ebtisam Abdulaziz, who was teaching still-life and basic drawing. In 2002, I started taking art courses at the Society. I went twice a week to practice drawing and then later I worked on acrylic painting. Whenever there was a workshop, I participated. I was 18 at the time and still studying for my degree. So after three or four years of taking classes there, I started to teach courses in basic drawing myself. I also began to participate in exhibitions in the United Arab Emirates, which led to exhibitions abroad. In 2011, I was able to get a studio in the Bait Obaid al-Shamsi—it was my dream to have a studio there as part of the EFAS. It provides a great atmosphere with all of the other artists who are there—we currently have 16. My life in the arts really started at the EFAS.  

Is anyone in your family in the arts?

My uncle is a calligrapher and he likes to design gardens. My grandfather has an antique shop. My family members may not be artists but they do have this inclination toward the arts. One of my uncles collects everything related to Coca-Cola. Because of this attitude, my family has always been really supportive of me and my passion, which is unusual here in Sharjah.

Can you talk a little bit about your early works and what drew you to interactive installations?

My early works were paintings. Here in the EFAS, they wanted us to develop our practice step by step. My paintings focused on subjects such as markets, stores and places that tend to be very crowded. Later on I began experimenting and started down my own path. I participated in the first official A.i.R Dubai artist residency program in 2012, where I worked with curator Alexandra MacGilp and met with five other international artists. After our discussions, I felt the need to challenge myself and to think outside the box, and so I started to make boxes! I created a work called Useless Machines (2012). It comprises seven wooden cubes embellished with everyday objects from various places, such as stationery stores, electronics shops, tailors and kitchens. The objects are randomly installed on each box. I made this so that people who see the work can imagine the function behind each machine. If you see a spoon, for example, you would have your own association or memory with this object. I received some funny comments from visitors about what they imagined the machines would be used for, which made me realize that I should have also focused on the viewers’ responses. When I was creating this work, I was more focused on making the objects, but I received really interesting responses that provided another layer to the work. During the A.i.R residency I also made an interactive piece called The Story Converter (2012), which was shown at the 2013 Sharjah Biennial. I used notes written by visitors and added my own drawings and writings created in response to them, allowing for this form of sharing to transform into another kind of narrative.

Seeing that your works are about human connectivity, what role does art play for you? What is its purpose?

Every artist has their own thoughts on how to express themselves through their artwork. For me, I’m still unsure. This whole process is a journey toward finding what you want. One aspect of my work is to encourage people to ask questions. I’m really inspired by the stories people share with me. Everyone has their own unique experience, and I really love hearing these stories from people. I find that this is also reflective of my personality. 

You recently curated the EFAS Annual Exhibition, entitled “Untold Stories,” which alluded to concepts that you also explore in your own practice. How much of your curatorial approach was related to your works?

At the Department of Culture and Information, we have to organize exhibitions, so, for me, curating came with the job. But when I was appointed the curator of this year’s annual EFAS exhibition, I was afraid. This was a personal project not related to my position in the Department. Most of the participating artists were members of the EFAS and the exhibition has a 32-year history—I didn’t want to be the one who lowered the bar. The past two or three editions had no theme, so I proposed one that was quite open to interpretation. Everyone has stories to share. I wanted my identity as an artist to also be present, so that’s why I decided on that theme, which also carried over into the catalog design. 

What are some projects you’re currently working on?

I have two main projects happening at the moment. I’m curating Sharjah’s Children Biennial. It is in its fourth year and will take place in December. It has an open-call submission for children ages 6 to 18. Previous editions had artworks submitted from 61 countries. I love working with children, and it’s not just about the artwork—I also have to organize workshops and plays. An idea I’m playing with involves taking the exhibition outside of the museum and bringing directly to the kids, and to let the event be carried out in various venues such as schools, playgrounds and parks. 

I also run a publishing house called The Little Studio. In the past, I worked with book fairs organizing, volunteering and making drawings. I found that there were no good books about art in Arabic. And also with children’s books here, the quality of illustrations is not very good, because most publishers just want to [make the product and] sell. I want to publish more books about the region that are documentary, but in a visual way, and also produce children’s literature that focuses on the visual arts. A documentary book I have in mind is one about my grandfather’s antique shop. He opened it in 1979 and has traveled all over the world to get his antiques. We are quickly losing these kinds of shops here in Sharjah. I thought, “Why not do something for my family to mark their place in history?” I’m very glad to have been born into this family, as they are my main sources of inspiration.

With so many arts and culture events arising in Sharjah, what are your impressions of the local art scene?

The art scene has definitely transformed and advanced in the past 15 years. But I still see a challenge in being a full-time artist—we don’t have many here. I was working as an engineer for five years, and one day I woke and said that I can’t do it anymore. Without any plans, I just quit. My family was very upset and it was nine months before I found another job. But during that time I worked on many projects, and it was a very productive time for me as an artist. But I couldn’t continue doing that for long, since I had no income. Now, I work in the Department of Culture and Information, but ultimately I want to be a full-time artist. 

Sylvia Tsai is associate editor at ArtAsiaPacific.