Paint Is My Language Laila Yassin

When I came across Laila’s work, I was impressed by transcendent beauty. Treating abstract expression as form, she draws from a modernist contemporary aesthetic to negotiate the role of art, and its function and potential to give people hope, relief, and joy.

Laila Yassin graduated from the business school of the American University in Cairo in 2011. She earned her masters degree in Public Policy in 2016, and worked for the United Nations in the Middle East and North Africa, before finding her artistic voice.

Tanja Beljanski: Where did you start your journey into the art world? When did you know that you wanted to be an artist?

Laila Yassin: I am Egyptian Contemporary Artist and Entrepreneur. My love for colors started at preschool when the teacher asked: “What would you like to be when you grow up?” I instantly responded: “A painter!” At that time, I really wanted to paint all the homes in my city, Cairo. I wanted our homes to look white, colorful, and shiny. That was my dream. I never knew that I am really talented and I never had the chance to really learn art at depth.

I grew up and I joined the American University in Cairo. I earned my bachelor degree in Business Administration. In my early years after graduation, I worked in the private sector. Then I got an offer from the United Nations Office in Cairo. I felt so excited to join the UN. So, I worked for the UN for nearly 10 years. I progressed in my job and I got promoted, and everything seemed okay. I traveled to almost all countries in the Middle East. It was so exciting, but it was just not me.

I started to think that I need something that I truly find meaningful and suits my talents. I wanted to do something I love. I kept thinking about finding my passion. I kept asking myself does passion really exist. Then, I came to the conclusion that we human beings are different, have different talents, tastes, hobbies, and skills. Some people find it easy to do math, others not. Therefore, I started to believe that each person has special talents. We just need to dig into ourselves and know them.

In October 2020, I made the decision that I consider to be courageous to quit my job and go for a journey to find my passion and know what I really want to do in my life. I started taking different courses and explored different fields until I found out that Art is my thing. And, along the way I keep knowing myself more and more.

____________________________

“My art is a message of love, hope,

and light to everyone.”

_______________________

TB: Let’s talk about your style. How can you describe your art?

LY: I simply follow my heart. I think of something good and then paint it. I describe my art as a message of love, hope, and light to everyone. With regards to the technique, I do like knife painting so much. I do like abstract paintings. I do feel that abstract art is very powerful to get the artists’ ideas out without any limitations.

TB: Is there something that inspires you most in your work? Are there some inspirations that come from other creative fields, such as photography or literature for example?

LY: Everything beautiful, kind, and loving can inspire. It can be a beautiful scenery in nature, it can be a kind word I heard, it can be our prayers for patients. And then while painting, I try to translate those kind and loving feelings into colors. So each painting has a special story, and I am always keen to share it with my audience.

Any beautiful scenery, quote, or statement inspires. Anything beautiful in this world I consider an inspiration for my art. So, I would not like to limit it to specific fields, it is simply the whole universe.

TB: What are the challenges of being an artist?

LY: For me, the main challenge is understanding the market while keeping my identity and uniqueness of my work. I always try to accommodate my clients’ needs without compromising my own style and voice. I think that is a main challenge. Also, I can add it is a bit challenging to do a good marketing for paintings while offering it at a convenient price.

TB: Tell us about your studio, what kind of place is it? What do you like the most about it?

LY: My mother was very kind to dedicate a big room in the house to be a studio. This room is extremely beautiful and it overlooks a garden. It is always sunny. I consider my studio to be one of my very favorite places and close to my heart. When I enter it, I feel calm and at peace.

TB: What does your usual working day look like?

LY: I paint for 4 to 5 hours a day. I keep painting, and when I get tired, I take a short rest, spend some time with my mom, or look at Instagram and answer some inquiries. Other than that, I get busy with the logistical work; like painting, delivering, receiving new orders, getting supplies. Another very lovely time and dear to my heart, is when I meet new clients to discuss their commissioned paintings. Meeting new people is exciting to me, first, to get to know them, and also to try to add a little happiness and love to their homes or offices by my paintings.

TB: How much does Instagram help with the promotion?

LY: It helped so much, to be honest. I see Instagram very effective to reach a wide audience in a very limited time. In Egypt for example, I think it can be considered as a large market space where you can reach a lot of audience with limited cost.

TB: What has been the biggest challenge you had to overcome?

LY: In the art business, there are few challenges like how to position myself as an artist, determine a voice, and a message, and how to stand out of the crowd. The best conclusion I reached is just to do what I believe in, and the rest will follow. Being unique and creative, and being myself helped me so much to find the right voice and position on social media.

_____________________________________________________

“The Dervish” is one of the most exciting paintings I've worked on.

It's inspired by Rumi's quote: 'Your task is not to seek for love,

but merely to seek and find all the barriers

within yourself that you built against it.'

I truly hope "The Dervish" brings a reminder

of love and light into your home.

_________________________________________