“The act of creation is the most engaging way to spend time.”
Why Digital Artist Omar Gilani creates sci-fi versions of Pakistan
#YCREATE is a digital movement powered by the Prince Claus Fund aimed at discovering the value of culture for young people across the world and celebrating young creators everywhere. We ask the next generation to share their creative talents and their views on arts and culture.
To start, we’re sharing stories from our worldwide network of creatives working in culture. Some are starting out and others have been at it all their lives. They all have amazing stories. Today: Digital Artist Omar Gilani.
What drives you to create the things you do?
The act of creation is the most engaging way to spend time that I’ve found. The entire process, from coming up with an idea to executing it to sharing it with people is great (almost) all the way through. As for content, I tend to create things that resonate with me personally. This has manifested in various ways over the years, the most recent being depictions of a sci-fi/fantasy version of Pakistan.
Do you think creators have a responsibility to address social or political issues?
Not really. I think creators have a responsibility to create, foremost. In my view, art is created for several reasons, and only one of those is political in nature, so presuming that as the primary aim narrows the field too much. Politicizing art should be valid only when doing that is deeply personal and meaningful to the creator. Then it can be tremendously powerful. But it should be at the creator’s discretion what she chooses to create, and what her motives are.
“I think creators have a responsibility to create.”
For instance, I have a layer of sociopolitical commentary in some of my works as well — but it’s never the primary aim, and I would hope my work is not primarily seen as that either. Art should be an intricate and complex and, at times, boundless experience, and its relevance or importance shouldn’t depend on how well it fits into certain categories.
What/who inspires you in your work?
I come from Pakistan, and I find my local culture to be rich, beautiful, and an interesting marriage of ancient traditions and modern sensibilities. Exploring that has been a big inspiration for me, particularly through lenses that help highlight some of the contradictions that are uniquely Pakistani. At the same time, I find the act of creation itself inspirational, particularly learning new tools and media to tell stories in unique ways.
I find the local culture of Pakistan to be an interesting marriage of ancient traditions and modern sensibilities. Exploring and highlighting the contradictions that are uniquely Pakistani is a big inspiration for me.
What’s it like to be an artist in Pakistan?
It’s a mixed bag. There’s a bit of stigma still associated with becoming an artist, particularly in the more conservative cities like the one where I grew up. The industry itself can be very insular as well, and difficult to break into unless you’re part of a certain social circle. But at the same time, it’s also deeply rewarding for an artist, as there is so much to explore and so much ground yet uncovered that one could find inspiration in every back alley and narrow street that one wanders into.
What are the obstacles to creation in your context and how do you deal with them?
The main one for me, a digital artist, is this perception that digital art is not ‘real art’. I had difficulty getting exhibited in galleries because of this. I overcame this by bypassing the gallery system entirely, and instead publishing my work online. That approach worked well, and allowed me to engage directly with people interested in my work.
What is the dream? The goal you set out to achieve?
That’s a difficult question. I think I have goals at many levels, and I hit them with varying degrees of success. I want to share with people the feeling of awe that I get when I see a beautiful piece of art. I also want to show Pakistan in a context it hasn’t been seen in before. This is important for our image abroad, but even more so for how we engage locally with our own culture. I want people to be inspired as to what ‘can be’. And I want to create, because of all the ways to spend time, that is the most fulfilling for me.
I want people to be inspired as to what ‘can be’.
— Omar Gilani
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#YCREATE
#YCreate: A platform for connection and creativity in an era of stark division
Art is at the heart of what makes us human. That’s why, in an era of building walls and blaming ‘the other’, it’s essential that cultural expression is free and valued. Every story counts, but not every story gets the attention it deserves. The Prince Claus Fund aims for change by launching #YCreate — a platform to connect the next generation with the extraordinary stories and diverse perspectives of creative people from all over the world.
Drawing from the Prince Claus Fund’s network, #YCreate explores the human palette of dreams, fears, and motivations with one key question: ‘Why do you create?’ Read the stories and dive into their work by visiting @ycreate_pcf on Instagram.
