Zaam Arif Waking Dream

Houston-based Pakistani artist Zaam Arif explores layers of very complex human emotions through his work. Subjects in his work are found in isolation, deep in thought, pensive in their being. ‘I feel all the time,’ he says. ‘I think artists are cursed because they are compelled to feel too much. And this makes us compelled to create.’
The feelings he tried to express on the canvas come and sit right next to you when you see his work. His compositions are very cinematic as the protagnosists are poised against surrealistic scenes. 
A suite of Zaam’s large-and-small scale oil paintings are currently on view at vadehra Art Gallery for the first time in India. Over an email interaction, Zaam told us about his journey in art, inspirations and creative process. Exceprts below:

Can you tell us a little about your beginnings?
Growing up in Karachi was a vivid mosaic of experiences, I remember going to the sea with my parents when I was very young, both talented artists whose presence filled our home with creativity. Despite their inspiring example, I initially shied away from art, fearing comparison and instead found refuge in the worlds of Physics, Philosophy, and Classic Literature. Immersing myself in them provided me with solace.

When and how did your romance with art begin?
While my journey may have taken me on a detour from the artistic path, the influence of my upbringing continues to shape my perspective. Even though I was away from painting, I was still close to art. I started learning how to play music, then I started exploring filmmaking and cinema. This eventually led me back to painting and even today my work encapsulates everything from Literature, Cinema to Music.

Your chosen medium of art is oil paintings. How did you arrive at that? 
I started my painting journey with pen and ink and a little bit of gouache. My father pushed me to oil painting, but I did not like it. I gave up on oil painting for one year but eventually came back to it. Finally, I understood that Oil Paint has its own soul. I cannot dictate oil paint to do what I want it to do right away, unlike pen and ink. I needed to introduce myself to it first, only after oil painting accepted me that I could work with it. And now I cannot even imaging painting with anything else. 

You work has cinematic compositions that feature personable protagonists who are in isolation, often posited among surrealistic scenes. Can you dwell on that a little?
What inspires me to create these scenes is the exploration of human emotions and experiences, particularly the theme of isolation. I'm fascinated by the intricacies of the human psyche and how individuals navigate moments of solitude and introspection. Through my art, I aim to communicate the complexities of human existence, capturing moments of vulnerability, resilience, and introspection. All of the things which make us human.

What is your creative process?
I keep looking for anything that touches on something that lingers in my head. It can be a book, a movie or even just a photograph. My work begins not in the studio but through watching movies and sometimes from something that I have read or dreamt. And when I find something that really speaks to me, I take it to my sketchbook. From my sketchbook those drawings then sometimes merge to become something more. But that is not always the case, there is a lot of failure in my work for it to become something substantial.  

Do you need to feel in order to create?
I feel all the time, I think artists are cursed because they are compelled to feel too much. And this makes us compelled to create. I believe there is no such thing as intention in art. It is only compulsion.

Lastly, what’s keeping you busy right now?
I am working on a series of shadow drawings which will then translate to shadow paintings. That moment has not been reached yet, eventually it will.

Venue: Vadehra Art Gallery 
D-53 Defence Colony, New Delhi
On View: Until 1 March, 2024

Words Hansika Lohani
Date 28.02.2024