Ahmad Yassir

Everybody finds comfort at home. This work tells the story of my pursuit of comfort through my investigation of space and its connection to identity. I find my room to be the intersection of my Eastern and Western selves, which are regularly clashing. However, I do find the tension between them interesting, and it results in the foundation of a new identity. I draw inspiration from the social and political conflicts associated with my growth, living environments, and educational experiences. I grew up in the conservative city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon, followed by finding independence in Beirut and living in a diverse environment while attending the United World College in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. At Bennington, I studied the creative development of education through Public Action and Visual Arts.

My artwork explores politicization, contemporary issues in the Middle East, and personal investigation. In all areas, I am interested in the role played by spatial justice, memory, and identity. I am deeply inspired by Islamic Art and the processes of modernization through untraditional color palettes and processes; moderate use of vegetal and decorative elements; patterning; and the use of calligraphy in patterning. In recent work, I am exploring postering as a process of claiming agency over public space, especially as a means of questioning what public space is. I am also interested in the repetition of action and excessiveness as a way to demand representation.

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