Each one of us is born to walk a path. We might cross paths, or live our whole lives without meeting each other. But one thing is for sure, you walk the path alone, no one will help you and no one will guide you. Although everyone claims they have the right answers. You’re on your own… And you must survive to see what lies at the end of the path.

Mazen Al-Angary: Alright hold it! I have to tell you one thing before starting this interview, I’ve been to many museums all around the world, but I have never seen in my life anything jam packed with as many references and symbology as this painting. WOW! The amount of information I am getting right now baffles my brain, just trying to process it.

Abdulnasser Gharem: That’s all coming from your head, and that’s your reflection on the work. But this very painting you have in hand is going to be auctioned in London next month. Queen Elizabeth will attend that event.

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What’s Up: Do you have an art gallery? Because we would really need to check out all your latest creations.

Abdulnasser Gharem: No not really, most of my work is sold even before I am done with it. Usually I sign a contract before even beginning the work.

WU: How does that work, how would the buyer know what he or she is getting?

Gharem: Well I have future projects all the time, so when they come asking for my work, I tell them what I have planned and the way and method I will use to execute it. If they like what they hear, we sign a deal and I am off to work on it.

WU: So how did you start? Did you get any academic tutoring in art?

Gharem: When you have the passion for something in your genes, you will look for any means to find and gather knowledge. I think if I took the academic approach, I might have ended up being channeled and blocked, in a way that would hinder me from reaching a level where I can get in touch with my inner-self.

WU: Would you be interested in teaching art courses?

Gharem: Again I think that art is a natural thing, artists need little guidance at the beginning then they should be set free to express themselves. Personally I am not interested in teaching since I want people to show their own inner taste.

WU: Your logo reads “art of survivor” what does that mean?

Gharem: This is the theme I am into right now, I believe that in order for us to survive we need art in our daily life, it is a necessity. I think art is a language that can connect us together. The artist is a witness to what is happening around him or her, and he or she are there in the “now” to recored what is going on around them while it is happening and after it filters through their soul, personality, and background.

WU: Your work is quite dense with messages on many levels. What’s the message you want to pass through your work?

Gharem: My message if you would call it that is to sit next to you while you observe the work and discuss how you feel about it, you will add more to my work that way, what I seek is just to move something in you that will reflect back to me. If you ask me what does this mean I will tell you I don’t know, I am an observer like you, asking you what do you think?

WU: We heard that you are not limited to one style?

Gharem: You see I like to mix many elements, to me it is all about expression. I personally do video art, using compositions, shadows, and light, treating every single frame of the video’s 24 frames as an individual canvas and working on it as such.

WU: That really sounds intense.

Gharem: I am working on one right now I call it “Path or Al Srat”, I can show you the drafts but you can’t see the final work because I made six worldwide limited editions one was sold to the Tate museum.

WU: Abdulnasser, would you give us a run down on all types of art you are involved in, so we can get a better picture.

Gharem: I do paintings, video art, body art, performance art, photography, music composing, and art in language.

WU: How many hours do you work per day?

Gharem: I never stop, I am brainstorming all the time, and you never know when something good comes out of that.

WU: We heard that you won King Abdullah’s award?

Gharem: It is an honor and a pleasure to get such recognition from such a prestigious award, that would be considered by itself as an achievement.

WU: Thank you so much for giving What’s Up this great opportunity to learn more about your work, but where can people find more about you?

Gharem: They can visit my website, there they can see everything I am working on, it’s www.abdulnasser-art.com