Scrolling through Instagram as we now do much more since we have more time to ourselves, bazaar discovered the work of Yaqoub Yousef. A prolific artist, at 40 years old, he is also a Department Head of Art Education in the Ministry of Education. His work immediately stands out as dark, ominous, and threatening, with symbolic meaning in the depictions of crows, police yellow tape, the iconic keffiyeh, and rope. These themes naturally continued in his Coronavirus-inspired pieces produced in lockdown, and we were delighted when Yaqoub discussed his work with us. 

From the age of 18, Yaqoub was regularly awarded space in the annual Public Authority for Applied Education exhibitions, receiving a third place award in 1998 and a second place award for two consecutive years after that. Soon after these successes Yaqoub’s participation in the art world crossed borders as he represented Kuwait as a delegate of the College of Basic Education on a trip to KSA.

Yaqoub says his artwork uses both realism and surrealism and his pieces have won a number of awards in fine art including five in the Fine Art Exhibition since 2009, the most recent being in 2019. Yaqoub also received second place for the Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf Award in 2019, and received the Sheika Fattouh Al-Samman Art Award in 2015 and 2018.

Staying at home stuck indoors can be stifling creatively speaking. How have you been keeping yourself motivated to paint?

For this period which we are going through, it is certainly difficult not only for me but for every person in the world due to the pandemic. Practicing mindfulness during this time meant that it wasn’t an obstacle for me.

What is it about working with paint that you enjoy, and why acrylics?

I, like any artist, use most any material that can help me in the creative process. I am skilled in watercolor, oil, acrylic, and pencil. But, as for acrylics,it is a medium that helps me achieve a piece faster than oil, although I suffer with it because it dries much more quickly than oils. Oils can remain moist for two days which means you can continue to manipulate and create for longer. But I can still create pieces using acrylics that look like oil paintings. 

Can you tell us more about the symbolism in your pieces?

Much of my work contains special meanings. For example, the crow can represent certain actions or people who have undue influence and control over our behavior. The yellow tape symbolizes distance and in fact, the piece with the ornate picture frame in it is called, “Do Not Touch” (featured image left). Here the tape signifies staying at home and social distancing. Rope ties again symbolize control, and in “Restrictions” the crow, by perching on the hands, is preventing the subject’s escape.

The attack of COVID-19 fits many of your themes like death and a threatening force, can you say how you linked these thoughts to the virus, and which coronavirus work did you start working on first?

I started to draw inspiration by seeing the events all over the world that were occurring due to the pandemic. The first piece was the woman and the crows, “Scream” (featured image right). The crows represent the disease or people who are infected and the woman represents the community that I live in which is trying to stop the spread of the virus by observing social distancing and not interacting with other people. And it’s saying that you have to be careful and wear a mask.

In “Scream” a murder of crows attacks at the face, a significant representation of the threat of death. Before the pandemic, why did you first focus on the crow?

Regarding the crow, as I said before it can symbolize death or control.  An example of control is the events that occurred in Syria with ISIS and the conflict in the Middle East. The crow has represented the actions of  ISIS, and in “Destiny” I am commenting on war which the crow represents and the impact of war on children.

Which piece do you think is your most powerful that you have produced during this time?

There is no work better than the other because I love all of my work and I don’t do a better job on one more than the other. Which work is most powerful is subjective and for the viewer to decide. 

Where do you think your inspiration will lead you?

To be honest, I don’t know where my work is headed. But, while my art may not be to everyone’s liking, and there may be people who find it hard to accept, I do hope that it reaches its audience and that I represent my country the best that I can.

Follow Yaqoub Yousef on Instagram @theking80 to see a broader selection of fine art and anime artworks. DM for enquiries. Images reproduced with the kind permission of the artist.