Leila Al Jazzaf

I am a half Irish, half Kuwaiti artist that has been in love with detailed ink drawings, patterns and comics, since I could remember. I find comfort in obsessive details and lines, and demonstrate that in my own art practice. Making this work involves putting onto paper the recollections associated with certain moments, whether it be a vending machine that I used to pass by with my friends while skating or a run-down bootleg kids toy store sign that reminds me of my childhood. With my artwork I utilize memory without playing too much into the concept of biography. I consider it bio-fiction. I want to show the life of Arab misfits and shed light onto a world not all are familiar with, while still being relatable. I find that I enjoy using humor to discuss complex subjects like adolescence, developing as a woman, being left out, sex, lust, depression, gender inequity, childhood trauma and other aspects of life. The world tends to only view the Arab world with malice or pity, and that association is trivializing. I want people to have a sense of my perspective and experiences which are as dynamic and complex as life itself.