Ghia Haddad

I am a mixed-media artist with a passion for painting and textiles. I have degrees in Graphic Design, Art History, and Museum Studies, and currently work from my home studio in Dubai. My representational art explores different women in the visual contexts of their backgrounds, the interplay between their own hopes and dreams, and the realities of their lives. It examines the spaces in which we each exist as a result of the shared experience of our people, our lands, the colors that tie us down, and those that liberate us. Working at the intersection of art and social justice, I make painted portraits and add flowing fabric, embroidery, beads, and yarn—thus challenging the traditional belief that fiber art does not have a legitimate space within the realm of high art. I create with the explicit belief that art has the power to provoke positive social change, and that artists have the tools and the responsibility to use it as a vehicle for such change.

Contact

www.ghiahaddad.com
ghiahaddad@me.com
@ghia_artdesign

Interview

What inspires your art practice and keeps you motivated?
My motivation to paint comes from my everyday life. Whatever I am feeling will invariably lead me to the studio. I channel happiness, anger, boredom, anxiety, silliness, pain—everything in my work.

How does your mission as an artist influence the work you create?
I believe that art can change the world. Artists have a universal, accessible language at their fingertips that can influence global conversations on issues that affect us all. This belief is translated into all my work, addressing topics that I feel need to be addressed, specifically women’s issues, racism, injustice, and inequality.

Can you share a key part of your creative process that helps you stay focused?
I always have something playing in the background as I am working—an audiobook, a podcast, or music. This helps me center my thoughts and very often inspires me to keep going as it reminds me why I do this work.

What mindset tip do you rely on to overcome challenges in your art career?
I believe in the value of my work 100%. This is the attitude with which I keep going. It doesn’t matter if the work is being actively valued at any moment; I still completely believe in it—and that keeps me going, whether the sales are there or not.

How do you hope your art impacts the world or your community?
My hope is that I can make someone think of a controversial topic in a way they hadn’t considered before or become aware of a reality they were not conscious existed, particularly about issues relating to women from the global south.