We’re not just stringing you along, here. Kuwait has an immensely talented art community, but there’s one particular artist who stands out. Maisam Qassem thinks outside the brush and uses materials that deliver an entirely different type of impressive aesthetic.

Armed with wood, pins and threads, Maisam strings her art together while adding her own touches like luxury leather and high quality threads. The result is always a masterpiece.
“The leather I use allows me to create art canvases with unique colors and soft surfaces”, she says, walking us through her artistic process. She explains how she first cuts the wood and the leather at specific measurements to cover the face of the wood. “Using a hammer, we then outline the shape [of the image] with pins and leave equal space between each pin in order to neatly apply the threads and connect them together.”
Though the process sounds a lot like geometry, the finished product is actually mind-blowing. So, we had to sit down and talk to the artist behind the lovely pieces made with mixed media that create gorgeous and intricate images, thoughtfully woven out with lots of detail. After all, her art has been featured around Kuwait and gifted to many important figures, including Ali Mohammed Thnayan Al-Ghanim. Maisam’s string art also proudly holds the record for biggest string art canvas in the world at 218 meters wide with over 14,000 pins used and more than 30,000 meters of thread.

How did you first discover making beautiful images out of wood, pins and threads?
The first string canvas I made was in March 2018, drawing out the name “Yousef”. Eventually, I realized the wood and pins I was using weren’t suitable, so I kept practicing. After a month, a horse riding event commissioned me along with other acrylic artists to create live artworks in front of the audience. I wanted to stand out and do something new, so I bought different types of wood and tried making the string canvases again.

Are you a full-time artist, or is this a passion you have to make time for?
After receiving so much positive feedback, I thought it was worth starting a business and customizing canvases for corporate clients. When I started, I was a student and an employee, working at a call center, then marketing and PR. I had my small business on the side, but I couldn’t take more than 50 orders monthly because I was doing everything myself.
After graduating and gaining valuable work experience, I decided to quit my job and focus on my business. I started interviewing employees and training them. The designs are made by me, but under my tutelage, my employees learned how to do the hand work because many people started ordering and we needed a bigger team.

Where do you usually sell your pieces, and what type of orders do you take?
I usually sell them on social media, especially Instagram, but I noticed that when guests see the canvases in real life during events or after receiving their orders, they’re more connected than when they see them online.
The type of orders I take are usually gifts. People love gifting these canvases because they can be customized based on the event and based on the personality of their loved ones. Some clients order portraits, names, shapes, horoscopes, logos et al.

Have you ever had them displayed in a gallery, or is that a goal of yours you aspire to achieve?
My canvases have been displayed in many galleries and events in Kuwait, but my main goal is to have an art gallery of my own, so people can visit any time to see the canvases in real life. I also want to join more events in GCC countries to connect with my other clients from the region. We have an increasing following from other GCC countries. In fact, we’ve been shipping them weekly.
Another goal of mine is to regularly host a workshop where we can teach people this type of art. When I wanted to learn this type of art back in 2018, I didn’t know anyone in Kuwait who could teach me. I have recently been seeing a few accounts in Kuwait and GCC countries that are starting to make this type of art and it makes me happy. I want to teach people the best material they could use to make it easier for them, and so we can see more from these canvases.

Discover Maisam Qassem’s artwork on her Instagram page @maisam_qassem and online at www.maisamqasem.com. You can order her work through social media or her website.