About The Exhibition

This exhibition revolves around my innate desire to represent the social groups I identify most strongly with, as beyond all of the complexities and identities I internally conflict with as a third culture muslim female, the one social group I can wholeheartedly belong to is youth. The artwork entails symbols of youth culture, symbols of unity and expression of observations, and aims to comment on the negative connotations with today’s youth, in an ironic manner. 

The principal ideas explored within this body of work were distinguishing intergenerational symbols of youth that could be communicated in a manner that was familiar, yet not obvious. For example, from afar “Worn Out Sole” and “Cell Works” may present themselves as decorative pieces representing popular items that many people can identify with, as for the current youth they are considered vintage “aesthetic” items, whereas older generations can recount owning similar products in their adolescence. However when closely examined, they refer to two influential aspects of youth culture, that has carried on from the 1980s; sneakerhead culture and technology. Sneakers being symbol for delinquency and mischief, alongside the choice footwear of adolescents, and technology being the sole method of communication between adolescents. These symbols are consistent within my work, as sneakers and phones are present within my transparent illustrations, that are etched into my centerpiece, “The Caller in the Phone” demonstrating the importance of these symbols in youth culture through time. By choosing symbols that can be associated with adolescents from the 1980s to 2010s, these symbols are immortalized, further intensifying their significance, thus allowing for a stronger intergenerational connection.

When creating these pieces, I was inspired by a multitude of artists, not necessarily by their mediums or technique but rather their approaches to tackling their subject matter in authentic ways. Following a visit to Tate Modern, I was introduced to artists that gravely influenced my artwork; Nan Goldin and Sanja Iveković. I was extremely intrigued by Nan Goldin’s ability to capture her effervescent and colorful encounters in an unfiltered manner that exposed flaws and darkness, without being metaphorical or extravagant. This inspired me to create artwork that visually was realistic, neither glorifying yet scrutinizing, which allows the viewer to uncover the intention themselves through their own interpretation. Similarly, Iveković created unfiltered pieces about feminism that manifested to me the power behind art used for issues of personal importance, which led me to create the series “My Eyes Are Up Here”, targeting the sexualization of young women, another form of unjust treatment of youth. 

The preferred arrangement of the exhibition is intended to linearly display the art pieces depicting youth culture, through the time frames in which these pieces embody. The paintings on the left side of the exhibition incorporate themes that the youth have struggled with since the beginning, universal struggles such as the sexualization of young women illustrated in “My Eyes Are Up Here”, the uncertainty of the transition into adulthood in “Incertitude”, and the youth obsessiveness with materialism, with phones and sneakers, that adolescents associate with their identity. The arrangement uses technology as a theme which laces the pieces through time, moving from traditional acrylics to photos and gifs which define the youth generation today. The “Caller in the Phone” is centered in the middle of the exhibition to reinforce the influence of technology on youth culture, and the distorted transparency leaves the emphatic message on the issues of authentic communication and relationships among the youth today. Lastly on the right, the exhibition closes with a screen displaying the gifs and transparent illustration, demonstrating a dependence on technology, done intentionally to portray a youth’s digital dependency as society believes.

My intention is not to scrutinize other age groups or generations, as that contradicts the underlying discontent my pieces voice regarding the judgement and stereotyping of age groups and subcultures, as explored through the age group of adolescents, but rather my intention is to allow all present and past youth to relish and reminisce on their adolescent years. This can inevitably allow me to deepen my connection with those I encounter, and possibly do the same for others that encounter my exhibition, and to above all, advocate for the youth of today.