Naina Hussain: Imagination to Illustration
Artists often flounder in search of inspiration to create their works. Inspiration itself is deeply individual and fluid, often appearing and vanishing in the most unlikely of places and times. What some of us may merely perceive as a scene in a movie, others could potentially be moved by it to represent or recreate it.
Atlanta-based Bangladeshi artist Naina Hussain creates by exploring the everyday inspiration around her, ranging from Bollywood movies to trendy Bengali slangs. Growing up, Naina explored Bollywood and fashion, as both were integral parts of her communities, and she continues to incorporate elements from both in her artwork.
During our conversation, I cherished a particular phrase Naina employed to describe the process of her art creation: “I let my imagination run free.” When an artist lets their imagination run free, there is no frontier for art, and any perceivable limits can be transgressed effortlessly.
Naina’s artwork has been featured in L’Officiel India, Adorn Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar Bride India, and she has worked with prominent designers Farah Sanjana and Ridhi Mehra, among others. Naina’s artwork can be found at @nainahussain, @bynainah, and www.nainahussain.com
Some of her answers have been edited for clarity purposes.
1. When and why did you start your artwork?
I started working on art because it was an outlet for me to just explore, and let my imagination run free. I am generally a very introverted person, so art lets me discover and explore worlds that I wouldn’t otherwise. I really love working on fashion illustrations because I would otherwise not wear those clothes, but I would love to style them!
2. How do your friends, family, strangers respond to your art?
My friends and family have really been supportive all throughout. My parents actually bought me my first tablet because they wanted me to pursue graphic design in college, but I decided to pursue economics.
3. What advice would you give to your younger self about your art?
A large portion of schools in Bangladesh, when they have art classes, have instructions on how to color paint, and usually, everyone is told to draw the same scenery: a hut, a banana tree, a river, and a sun peeking through the mountains. It’s always been a very rule-bounded and regimented subject with no exploration allowed or else you’d get low grades. I then moved to a school that encouraged the opposite: to experiment and try your own thing. So I wish I had learned to take more risks when it came to art at a much younger age and tell myself that there are no wrong answers, or way to draw or paint.
4. How does your identity influence your creations?
I think my identity has a lot of influence on my work. I grew up with Bollywood, with lavish parties and weddings where women were so exquisitely dressed up. I have this urge to explore and represent all that, and in the process, express myself through my work.
5. Who are your biggest source(s) of inspiration when it comes to the art you create?
My biggest source of inspiration is minimal art. I can’t pinpoint to one particular artist because I’ve stumbled upon SO many artists, photographers, and poets that I love, but minimal has always been the constant theme in any form of art that I’ve enjoyed. I love the art that Refinery29’s artists create, and I love a lot of South Asian artists who are working on the representation of the diaspora. One day I hope to contribute to the wider community and give more exposure to Bangladeshis because I believe that we are often underrepresented.
6. What led to the creation of the “muri khao” piece?
The Muri Khao piece has a very special place in my heart. Growing up my cousins would always say “Muri Khao,” basically a way to tell everyone to mind their own businesses, and I somehow picked it up along the way. I think that’s how life should essentially be. People should follow their hearts in any kind of decision they want to pursue, and not worry about what others’ opinions are, because somehow some people in Bangladeshi society manage to think that they have a say in all aspects of others’ lives. So that is something quite annoying, and on days when you’ve had enough, all you can say (maybe just in your head, because you don’t want to be disrespectful) is Muri Khao, please!
7. How do you think your pieces on Bollywood-inspired art would be viewed given your identity as a Bangladeshi-American?
I think working on Bollywood-inspired art sometimes gives the impression of my identity as being Indian, and to top it off, I have an unusual Bangladeshi name, and a name that is often compared to characters in Bollywood films. I just hope that my roots and my interests in a certain subject matter don’t get muffled as I receive more exposure. I want to represent my culture and my country through my art one day and hope that my identity as a Bangladeshi does not get diminished due to the fact that I base a lot of my work on a culture that is non-Bangladeshi.
Check out her work on Instagram @bynainah and www.nainahussain.com!
