Abdulaziz Al Hosni: from al-khaburah to the world
abdulaziz al hosni is an omani artist whose work revolves around masculinity, its perceptions, its restrictions, and the resulting toxicity that stems from fitting in a box. al hosni is here to escape censorship, speak up for himself, and reclaim his identity on his own terms. “i will not go live in los angeles. i don’t want to disown my roots to live freely. i want to embrace them and live authentically by normalizing a new status quo”, he says with a playful defiance.
interview by philippe ghabayen
your aesthetic is so distinct, we are in love here at plastik. tell us more about how you developed your signature visual identity. what did you want to express?
i live in a small town in oman, on a farm in al khaburah, surrounded by animals and nature, safe and far away from the ugly capitalistic world. living on this isolated farm, one can self-reflect and find different non-verbal ways to express themself. nevertheless, i still felt that some of my ideas and ways of expression were dictated by my surroundings. it felt oppressive. i didn’t feel true to myself.
art became my solace, my safe space to relay my vision of the world. i started doing art photography at a very young age, with a phone camera since i couldn’t afford a professional one. slowly yet steadily, i improved my skill. i wanted to capture what i wasn’t allowed to showcase: men in their natural environment. i wanted to provoke, most probably a reaction to feeling controlled.
traditional elements are prevalent in your photography. as someone who wanted to break free from their environment, how do you use tradition to forge your own identity?
first of all, i want to talk about my pride in being arab. it is all i have ever known, and i have so much respect for my culture. some were offended by my portrait, the one where i am submerged in water while wearing a dishdasha. i understand that folklore is sacred in our society, but the concept was to use these same cultural codes and subverting them. i don’t only see it as an homage to my roots, but also as a way to feel victorious through my art and thrive on my own terms.
i don't aim to change what men should be. i rather focus on letting men embrace their masculinity as it is, by allowing them to be who they are, and find their own definition of it. this idea is translated into one of my projects which depicts a bunch of men wearing izar (traditional omani clothing), and are about to throw a sign that reads “for strong men" in order to forge their own definition of masculinity.
“many would not dare to be in front of my lens. that is why i mostly put myself as the subject of my own series.”
i love the name and themes in your “habayeb club” series. is it a club that accepts humans in their raw truth, the way you weren’t?
absolutely. i created this imaginary club where men can express their emotions as they please. upon entering, you are offered a love potion, becoming completely uninhibited. usually, we send our children to various institutions where they learn to become “more masculine”, like the military. this was my version of these institutions. my version allows us, men, to be open to the world, heart and mind, and to be warriors that lead with love.
we don’t know many omani-based artists. can you tell us about the art scene and your latest projects in the region?
we don’t have a lot of support as omani artists. however, since there isn’t a surplus of artists in oman, it’s easier to get visibility. that is the advantage of having a tight scene.
i am currently working on a new photography series titled “qalb mahmood” (mahmoud’s heart) along with numerous new ideas that i am eager to express. i am very grateful to be representing my community and my home country.
“my inspiration does not necessarily come from artists or art pieces. i draw inspiration mostly from my surroundings. you don’t have to go to an art gallery to appreciate art when you see art in people and in their stories and faces.”
auto-portraiture is one of your main means of expression. there’s a certain defiance in putting yourself in front of the lens of your camera and that of others. how do you reconcile between being the art director and the protagonist? what’s your process like, and how do you decide on your collaborators?
many would not dare to be behind my lens. that is why i mostly put myself as the subject of my own series. i would love to work more with young omanis. sometimes, i spot people on the street and approach them. one time, i came across this buff guy’s instagram profile, and I was interested in photographing him. i reached out, and he accepted. surprisingly, he was so sweet and gentle in real life, which goes so well with the message i am trying to convey: masculinity is a spectrum and a construct.
in my series “colors of love and sorrow”, i shot myself going through stages of heartbreak. it was all very dramatic. i also made a design intervention on these traditional omani hats (called kumal) by replacing the original pattern with a heart one and making them with pink fabric. these different kumals colors and designs showcase the different emotions a simple human can have. i feel privileged to be able to push boundaries through my art and cement my identity as a contemporary omani artist.
you spoke about your arab pride, who are the arab artists on your radar at the moment?
i am proud of “saint levant”, not only for the great music he puts out, but also for the fact that he is weaving his palestinian identity into his art. although he is half french and has lived in america, his arab core is still thriving and keeps on representing his people.
who are your inspirations in the world of art, be it in music, film, sculpture, painting ... what does it take for an art piece to move you?
my inspiration does not necessarily come from artists or art pieces. i draw inspiration mostly from my surroundings. you don’t have to go to an art gallery to appreciate art when you see art in people and in their stories and faces. even random cheap posters in a random local restaurant can trigger ideas that i would chase for months to complete.
a prevalent theme in your work is the supernatural. tell me more about your relationship with the unseen and its effect on your visual language.
i love to imagine and create my own utopia. i was blessed with great imagination. it is a mean to run from reality, perhaps to a fantasy of how things could change and should be.