Last week, we profiled Abdulaziz Al-Qahtani’s “An Intimate Geography” exhibit at the Lahd Gallery. This week, we sat down for an interview with the artist himself.

Sara for MMW: I noticed that you never explicitly mention Islam in your work. Was this intentional?

An image from Al-Qahtani's exhibit at the Lahd Gallery.

Abdulaziz Al-Qahtani: I wanted to move away from Islam, because I do not like to classify based on religion. I do this because I feel as though everyone is spiritual, and that is the best way to be in touch with your inner self. I also wanted to steer clear of stereotypes.

MMW: While the hijab was not a focus of your work, it was still featured. What was it meant to symbolize, or what was its role?

AQ: I showed a hint of everything—religion, belief, culture. Hijab is just a part of what many people wear.  I am not really concerned with the political issues around hijab, I just used it in a playful way. The hijab was supposed to represent being Arabian or Middle Eastern.

MMW: What was the central message to this particular exhibition?

AQ: I wanted to critique the double standard that exists. People are expected to follow cultural rules and guidelines like sheep, yet they believe that they are open-minded because they wear ‘cool clothing’. Some believe that things such as drinking or wearing different clothing makes you “progressive” but I disagree with this.

MMW: One criticism I had of the exhibition was that you state that this is meant to represent the Middle East, but I felt as though it might be more representative of the Gulf (your own background). What is your response to that?

AQ: I was critiquing gender roles in general. While there might be a Gulf based theme, I feel as though many of the ideas can be applied to the entire Middle East, such as arranged marriages, or gender roles and responsibilities within a marriage.

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