CHOOSE A ROLE MODEL:

Yara El-Sherbini, artist

My story...

How did you become an artist?
My parents worked in mental health – my father is a psychiatrist and my mother a psychiatric nurse. I became interested in art therapy and started out thinking that would be my career. I became passionate about the art I was creating as a creative outlet and a way of talking about political and social issues in an accesible way.

What is the link between politics and art?
I think there is a space to use art to engage with politics, i.e if we are frustrated by how Muslims are represented in the media, we need to do something about it. Through art, I challenge these representations in a constructive way.

Personally, my work is about raising debate and dialogue. Therefore I am less interested in creating a pretty picture (though I appreciate people who want to do that) than in thinking about how we can use art to create a better world.

Audiences mostly respond positively to my work, because my approach is playful and engaging. While it gently pushes the boundaries of what art is and can be and who engages with it, it also questions the role of art in society.

How do you make a living?
If you do something for the love of it and because it is something you believe in, you will find a way to make it work. I do educational projects and am currently doing a residency in a hospital. There are lots of ways to make a living from being an artist.

What kind of work do you do?
I am always working on different projects, commissions and art works, so I am never doing the same thing – it is always changing. I have just made a sound piece and next I’ll be working on creating an interactive online game. It’s not a 9-5 job, being an artist becomes part of life – I never know what I will be doing next and I love this constant change.

Of course, being self employed is difficult, but there are so many positives. You can choose the hours you work and what you want to do.

What about your parents?
My parents have absolutely supported me 100%. At first they didn’t see art as a career, but when they saw how passionate I was about it, they fully supported it. Even if they don’t understand everything that I do, they understand my passion.

What is your experience as a Muslim woman in the creative industry?
It has been positive on the whole,I do the best work that I can, and have had many opportunites. Some people think I get work because of my faith/colour, which I find frustrating, and needs challenging. I think if, as an individual, you work your hardest and try your very best, the work speaks for itself, merited on the quality of the ideas and not to one's faith.

What advice would you give to girls thinking of a similar career?
Many Muslim girls may not see art as a possible avenue. This applies to many young people in fact – not just Muslim girls. I would want to say to that there is a space for you. There are a lot of initiatives to support challenging work, women, cultural diversity, faith, and just great art so there are always plenty of opportunities out there.

You can see some of Yara’s work at www.yaraelsherbini.com