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Artist Amina Aiubova, who has travelled around the world in search of inspiration, captivated creatives at a recent collaborative exhibition featuring some of the kingdom’s most talented filmmakers, photographers, producers, musicians and artists.
The 26-year-old Russian expat recently participated in the ‘Pain is an Illusion’ group exhibition staged at Words Bookstore Café and curated by Canadian artist and fashion designer Frances Stafford.
Amina was joined by producer and musician Kayan, designer and artist Maryam Jamal, documentary maker, photographer and film editor Angelina Soon from Saudi Arabia, multimedia fine artist Amal Ahmed, visual artist Adbull and Vivimar Salazar, an experimental performance artist who creates pieces using her typewriter.
“It felt more like a gathering of artistic family members than an official event and everyone was welcome to watch as we painted and performed,” said Amina, who lives and works out of her home and studio in Juffair, and lives near her mum, Arina, a choreographer. “Being a part of this exhibition was a great experience.”
Amina, a proud member of the Aghul, part of an ethnic group living primarily in Russia’s southern Dagestan, featured seven works of art at the showcase.
“Some of the topics I wanted to touch upon and deliver to the viewer were about trust, fear and consciousness linked to the main theme of the exhibition,” she explained.
“Like many artists, for a long time, I was hesitant to showcase my work, I believe it was because I had the feeling of being misunderstood.”
Art-lovers were attracted to Amina’s pieces, priced from BD75, as a result of her powerful use of colours and fascinating subject matter, and many were snapped up by collectors. “For an artist, to sell his or her work is the biggest award we can ever receive,” admitted Amina. “I have always liked to experiment with techniques and materials. Recently, I discovered the delights of ultraviolet paints and how the picture changes under different lighting, but the main materials in my studio are water colour, oil paints, acrylic and ink liners.
“For me, it’s like a food. I use water colour when I feel like something light. Ink is like coffee, acrylic is like lunch with friends, and oil painting is an amazing, proper family dinner … but you should clean the dishes afterwards!
“Basically, I am a very freedom-loving person and that affects the essence of my work and concepts that I try to portray.
“I focus on the subconscious and mindfulness. I’m a multi-media artist and I explore painting as well as metal and woodworking, jewellery design and dance.
“I believe that inspiration is all around us, we should just be capable of catching it. All my life I have been searching for inspiration in different people, cultures and nature. I’m always searching for ideas and shapes.”
Her work has been displayed at numerous exhibitions in Bahrain and Russia and she also shows at pop up markets.
Amina, who has been practicing visual and performative arts since 2007, attended various art schools and colleges growing up and graduated from Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry in 2016.
To find out about her upcoming exhibitions and market appearances, follow her on Instagram @amino_acid_
