An Expressive Conversation with Jalal Luqman

Courtesy of the Artist

Jalal Luqman is an Emirati Artist, Art Consultant. and author. Jalal is internationally regarded with exhibitions in New York, Beijing, Tokyo, Morocco, The Czech Republic, Egypt, Washington DC, Kuwait, Dubai. I got the honor and pleasure to ask Jalal some questions about how he chooses material for a piece, why he prefers mixed media, and when he first become serious about art.

U: How do you wish to use art to bring more attention to Emirati Art?

J: Emirati artists should work on art that is current with the times. What are auction houses selling? What is being sold at international art fairs? What are collectors looking for, what are buyers buying? These are the questions Emirati Artists should answer and work towards.

“The invisible giant,” Galvanized steel

U: How and when did you first become seriously interested in art?

J: I have always been interested in art, from an early age to college, to a commercial artist, to a visual artist, a gallerist, and an art consultant and Curator. I have gone through all stages and continue to produce art all the time, but now since I have a busy schedule, I have become much more selective on what projects to take and which commissions to work on.

U: What can artists do more to stand out among galleries and artist liaisons and consultants?

J: They must produce work that speaks to the current viewer, it is no longer about who draws the more realistic horse, or the most beautiful body. Successful artists today are those who speak and research on current matters and concerns.

“Hint of a smile,” mixed media

U: How has being an art consultant changed how you approach creating art? How has being an artist changed or helped you as an art consultant?

J: I am still an artist; I still produce art as my main source of income. My years of being an artist and being involved in the art world both feed into my expertise as a consultant.

U: How do you choose material for each piece?

J: Materials are the alphabet of the statement within the artwork. They are chosen based on the story they want to tell the viewer, and again every viewer sees a different story, based on their own experience in life.

“No more sunshine,” acrylic on canvas

U: How did your graphic novel, The Armagondas come about? How was developing the novel different from any other art you have created and why?

J: “The Armagondas” is the joining of every creative and artistic talent I have within me, from storytelling to building worlds, to researching creatures and animals, to studying history and pre-history. For “The Armagondas”, I learned to write better, create better creatures and characters, and developed backstories to create characters with interesting histories. It has been a learning process every step of the way.

“Al HAL-one of the 99 names of Allah,” High-grade aluminum in auto paint

U: Can you explain your inspiration to start JML Events?

J: I have owned 2 galleries in the past, both of which have proven to be a huge waste of money, so I decided to shut them both down, and instead open an events company to make events for artists as well as other clients. This way I can create art exhibitions for artists in different venues and spaces, without being confined to one specific gallery.

U: How has the pandemic affected your business and how have you worked around it?

J: The pandemic has made my consultancy business boom. I am still quite busy during the pandemic. Clients hire me to find solutions to work around the pandemic, and I have been enjoying helping my clients to solve their problems and work around the limitations of the pandemic.

“Wired wrong,” mixed media

U: What makes mixed media the medium that best addresses your theme and presents your style?

J: Mixed media is only one style I use in my artwork, usually the artwork selects what it wants to be created from. If Mixed media delivers the full story, then mixed media it is; if another painting wants to be an oil painting, then I will create it in oils paints and so forth. I never limit myself to a specific art medium. I will use whatever I need to make my artwork scream out with feelings. My artwork is not always beautiful, and beauty is not important to me. I would rather produce an ugly artwork with meaning than produce something beautiful just to satisfy the view.

For more information on Jalal’s art please visit here, and follow him on Instagram.