'My process of making art starts with symbolic thought. A type of thinking in which symbols or images used to represent invisible objects. It allows me to unlock the metaphor and make it visible for the viewer.'
My work explores cultural diversity, personal identity, and social justice. It represents themes about life, society, and ethics. My current project, 'Perception', is an excellent example of an exploration of personal identity. Here, I seek to examine the subjectivity of the human visual process and how we categorize someone in a certain way. A theme of ethics and cultural values presents itself in many of my artworks, including 'Strokes of Ginan', where I researched and illustrated a visual interpretation of selected verses of mystical poems known as 'Ginans', composed by Ismaili Muslim poets from the 12th to 17th century in the Indian subcontinent.
Inspired by the creativity and unique style of master artists such as Gulgee, Sadequain, and M.F. Husain of Central Asia, as well as Andy Warhol and Frida Kahlo of Americas, I have used various media and artistic styles in my work. Experimenting with different media opens up opportunities to explore diversity in my artwork and to learn new techniques at a professional level. Originally beginning in grayscale with graphite and charcoal, I went on to tackle oil paint, acrylic, and pastels, using tools such as brushes, palette knives, and even a polymer drying clay that creates the illusion of a cracked canvas to develop my artistic abilities.
My biggest challenge has been to imbue my work with meaning. To that, I focus more on the subject of the paintings than the paintings themselves. I try to keep my work simple and not to make it crowded. I don't want to get my audience lost in the painting. I have combined the Western style of abstract art with the non-figurative style of Islamic calligraphy using different media and materials. By doing this, I merged the core values of Islamic art with a flair distinctive of Western art to make something I regard as more contemporary.
Jalal Gilani joined Fine Art America on September 28th, 2010.
