Carrying the torch

BAHRAINI street artist Isa Mansoor is set to stage his first solo exhibition, entitled The yellow series next month, which focuses on mental health.

The showcase is an emotional tribute to his late artist friend, Maryam, and will feature never-seen-before paintings, new ideas and experimental works, all embodying the spirit of the theme.

“There’s not enough words to express my appreciation for Maryam. She was one of my first supporters, giving me a chance to be a part of her community, always a helping hand and a genius,” the 26-year-old told GulfWeekly.

“She had this series that she never got to finish, so I decided to continue for her,” he added, highlighting that his upcoming display embodies the theme that his late friend was working on.

The collection comprises pieces that have been created using mixed media, for the most part, with the colour yellow being one of the prominent hues.

“It’s mostly about fighting depression and getting through darkness,” he said.

“Yellow tends to be the bright side of things, as well as a colour of depression, it depends on how you want to see it. It’s more through research and my use of yellow and purple together, it gives that feel. It can be more of a perspective thing as well, depending on how different people perceive it. So, I took this idea and hopefully it shows in my paintings,” the creative said, adding that he has used acrylics, spray paints and anything he could to achieve the desired effect.

Isa has been interested in art since childhood but became an active member of the local art community at the end of his architecture studies.

“I was the child that was constantly drawing and not paying attention in class, but I didn’t discover the art industry until I started going to galleries and meeting other artists, which led to me becoming involved in artist groups and events,” the Riffa resident said.

Speaking of his foray into street art, the Kingdom University graduate credits his fellow artist and collaborator Aref Mohammed, also known as Ayfu, for introducing him to the style.

“He got me in a group he was forming in 2020, called the Art Attack Krew. It started with him wanting to gather a graffiti group, but now it’s become involved in everything that’s art. I thank the group, even though I’m not currently involved in it, for getting me to where I am now. We made so many exhibitions and collaborations with different kinds of organisations,” he noted.

Isa emphasised the importance of community, which he believes helped fuel his passion and motivate him to continue pursuing art.

“When I see other people in the community doing stuff, I feel motivated to do something as well, it’s like we feed off each other’s energy, and the community itself is currently small, so it’s easy to stay in touch and collaborate.”

The painter loves to use his talent and skill to portray human emotions and stories that resonate with him. His work also tends to reflect whatever is capturing his interest at the time of creating the art.

“I love to learn and discover new things, and portray what I learn in my paintings. For example, I got into calligraphy and abstract art, so I involved them in my paintings, so my style is always developing and evolving. You can say that every era of my work reflects what I was into at the time of making it.

“During my architectural course, I got to study design elements and principles, as well as 3D and perspective, which I’ve always been fond of, hence my style tends to be boxy or three-dimensional,” the professional architect added.

While he is known for his spray painted murals, Isa also enjoys working on canvases and creating T-shirt designs in his signature graffiti style.

“As much as I enjoy architecture, I don’t prefer it over being an artist. I hope to make enough money from my art, so I can quit architecture,” he said.

The artist emphasised that creatives like him deserve more appreciation as, he believes, it’s not only about their skill and hard work, but also about pouring their heart and soul into their creations.

“When I’m giving you a piece, I’m not just giving you something that I’m doing in a couple of hours. I’m giving you a full-time experience, which I think should be appreciated,” he added.

The exhibition venue and exact dates will be announced soon.

For more details,follow @elsees.art3 on Instagram.