Q and A with Yasmine Dabbous
Questions by Tim Brown, Hillyer Director
Timothy Brown (TB):
You have stated that you live for passion and practicality. How do they inform your artistic practice?
Yasmine Dabbous (YD):
In art, like in life, I think it is important to care, to feel passionate about people and causes, and to express this passion vocally. But it is also important to be down-to-earth and practical, and to know where, when and how it is appropriate to do so. What works well in one context may fail in another. I am passionate but I also try to be mindful at the same time.
(TB):
Based on your educational experience, you have an avid interest in multidisciplinary approaches to solving problems and creating art. Which disciplines would you say have the most influence on your work?
(YD):
I am certainly influenced by my career as a journalist, since everything I do includes a storytelling component. Stories are very important for me as an artist. They are the connection between my subject, myself and my audience. I am also influenced by my work in academia, and more specifically cultural history and cultural studies. That possibly explains why my artwork is largely conceptual and is meant to make me and others think and deconstruct realities -never take anything for granted. I always like to create a relationship between me and between the recipients of my work -some kind of intellectual space where we ponder together about our values and our experiences.
(TB):
Your current exhibition examines the topic of refugees. Why do you feel this is an important subject to address as a contemporary artist?
(YD):
I come from a region ridden with conflicts and war. I was even born into the Lebanese Civil War. I wondered then, as a child, why would adults engage in such violence. I have not been able to answer this question to this day. And I feel that the issue of refugees, who are among the chief victims of these wars, is a direct way to address this question, to encourage people to challenge war and violence.
(TB):
You use the term “object connections“ to describe your work. How important is this to the refugee experience?
(YD):
These object connections are primordial for refugees. We are talking of course about daily objects that often hang around our houses and do not mean much. But when we leave and take nothing else, these objects become our only connection to our past, our ancestors, our home. Moreover, refugees are going to a land that’s not theirs, and to a life they know nothing about. So these objects become the base for a new home.
(TB):
As an artist whose interests cross multiple disciplines, what are some future directions you plan to explore in your work?
(YD):
I have a number of questions that remain unanswered in my mind and i would like to address them through more fiber art shows. I want to provoke thoughts but also find answers and feel at peace -both through conceptualization and application.
You can learn more about Yasmine Dabbous by visiting our Video Spotlights page and/or our YouTube Channel.
