An Interview with Anika Labiba Ahmed by Umme Hani Anika
A beginner artist going down the self-taught route, DEH student Anika Labiba Ahmed (Batch: 173) has ensured steady artistic progress over the pandemic years and already has some brilliant paintings to her credit. Let’s see what she has to say about her hobby!
Where were you born and raised? Do you have any other geographic affiliations other than Bangladesh?
I was born in a little suburb called Covington, right outside of New Orleans, Louisiana in the United States. I lived in the U.S. and Malaysia for a bit but I was raised in Bangladesh. Now I live in Bangladesh and every year I go to Vienna, Austria for a summer break. I am all over the place and my “soul stretched tight across the skies.”
How would you describe your artistic training?
I had none. It was only very recently that I tried to learn oil painting from a brilliant artist but it did not go so well. I think that I like to learn on my own by watching the said artist paint, by watching YouTube videos of other people painting, and by looking at the old masters’ masterpieces.
When and how did you begin to paint?
Right before the pandemic started, I was inexplicably drawn into the idea of just messing around with color. I watched people paint on YouTube and thought that it was magical how people could create images just like that. I wanted to try it for myself and so I did. I started out by watching tutorials on YouTube and then moved to paint from photographs on my own.
When you started painting was there someone in your family who encouraged you to pursue it? Do you have any artists in the family?
There are no artists in my family. My mother, who is always the biggest fan of my paintings and who is always the first person to see them, really encouraged me to keep at it. She jokes that a Jinn must be regularly possessing me when I paint because this hobby came out of nowhere. My partner is also incredibly supportive. He bought me a huge set of paints when I was just starting out, without which I would not be where I am now with painting.
Which mode of paint do you use most when painting? Why?
I use acrylics and that is what I am good at. I love the look of oil paintings but I would say that I am not good at it at all. Not yet anyway. For now, I mostly use acrylic paint and try to make them look like oils.
You seem to have an affinity for painting natural landscapes, particularly seas, springs, ponds with splashes of other natural elements. What made you more inclined to capture these aspects of nature in your painting?
I have always been a romantic soul. I see such a disconnection nowadays between people and Nature— the very thing that we have sprung out of, and what sustains us. Nature is formidable on a very primal level too and although we have been out of touch, the awe-inspiring fear is still there in us. I try to use that buried, instinctual feeling of helplessness and admiration by showing them glimpses of the overwhelming beauty of Nature and reminding them of how utterly helpless we are against its wrath. I do paint a lot of water because it truly symbolizes the subconscious and repressed feelings. At the same time, it is “the stuff of life” and it nurtures our mind, body, and soul. It is magical and is my favorite natural element.
Where do you draw inspiration for the other types of painting you do like still life, townscapes and fantasy artworks?
When it comes to Townscapes and fantasy, I look at royalty-free images on the internet and make them my own. Still life paintings are heavily influenced by the old Dutch masters.
Are there painters who have inspired you? Other influences in art, music, books?
I am continually inspired by my friends Alia Kamal and Saria Ahmed who are geniuses when it comes to art. I also love the old Dutch painters like Rembrandt, impressionists like Monet, expressionists like Edvard Munch, the American Realist Edward Hopper and symbolists like Gustav Klimt from fin-de-siècle(turn of the 19th century) Vienna. From outside the Fine Arts sphere, I am often inspired by poetry and mythology too. There are just so many things that impact my work.
How do you physically approach landscape exploration and painting? Take a hike? Backpack? Take photos or paint on-site? Go solo or with friends?
I used to just paint from photos but only recently did I start painting en plein air (in the open air). I was in Vienna for 3 months over the summer and my favourite spot was by a pond with ducks in the city park. I would paint the same setting, from the same spot and it never got boring. Most of the time I was alone.
How would you best describe your form and style of painting? Is it impressionism, surrealism or something different?
It is hard to say. I think I tend to lean towards impressionism and expressionism.
How do you stay focused during painting?
Staying focused during painting is so easy for me. Sometimes I get so into the zone that I lose track of time and realize later that hours had gone by without me noticing it. It is a portal into a different dimension and it helps tremendously with my anxiety and depression.
Can you help us go through your creative process?
I am a chaotic painter. That is all I can say about that.
Do you ever have difficulty when deciding what to paint, if so, how do you overcome this/ get inspiration?
Never. There is always so much inspiration around us even in the most mundane of things.
What message do you want to convey through your artwork?
More than messages, I want to convey feelings even if it is just for a second or two. I think that at the end of the day that’s all that an artist can hope to achieve.
What is your general sequence of creating a painting?
It starts with a strong, magnetic urge to paint. I then study what I am going to paint by looking at photos, I start painting, mess something up, pause to reflect over life, resume, fix what I had messed up, and then get sucked into the job for hours on end.
What is your favorite studio tool/supply?
A big fat round brush that I got from Amazon. It is so satisfying to paint large areas with it.
What is your favorite painting you’ve ever created?
A still life of a candlelit table of fruits and some dried flora. I managed to play well with the light and dark in that one. It was a lot of fun painting it.
What mode of media do you use for promoting your artwork?
Right now I am only using my Facebook page “Anika L Art”. I am the worst promoter of my own art because I don’t think I am very good. However, I do love sharing my work with people and sometimes they like something on the page and buy it. The money that I earn is then recycled back into my work when I get art supplies.
Are you planning to expand your professional pursuits as a painter? If so, how?
My goal now is to have my paintings up in an exhibition. I have a large body of work but I think that I need to improve more first.
What advice would you give to budding artists?
One does not need much to begin painting especially if it is with acrylics. Just get some paints (preferably the primary colours or even just black and white), a set of brushes, a canvas, and water.
Copy the masters. Look at paintings by famous artists and make your own version of them. This is really the best way to learn.
Watch YouTube videos of people painting and ask questions in the comments section if there are any.
Do not become a perfectionist. It really takes the fun or therapeutic aspects of painting if you get too caught up with trying to create a “perfect” painting.