In June 2021, The Mill welcomed Hussain Alismail to undertake a residency as part of our Sponsored Studio program. The outcome of this residency was a new exhibition, In search of a good laugh, presented in our Showcase gallery in November-December 2021. The Mill’s Sponsored Studio is a new initiative supported by Drs Geoff and Sorayya Martin, and an anonymous philanthropist beginning in 2021.
(Images below: Daniel Marks)
Image: Hussain Alismail, courtesy of the artist.
The title of the exhibition is inspired by an interview I recently watched where visitors to an art exhibition were asked: ‘What you are looking for in this exhibition?’ One visitor answered ‘I don’t know! Maybe a good laugh!’ This answer struck me, and took me back to ten years ago when I worked as a cartoonist at KFUPM newspaper (a university publication in Saudi Arabia), where my art work attempted to generate laughter about the hardest issues faced by students. Since then, my work has shifted to become more abstracted and conceptual, however, I believe laughter is a worthwhile pursuit. This exhibition may not be overtly comedic, but I would like to invite audiences to consider the work through a lens where it can be both serious, conceptual and parodical.
-Hussain Alismail
Artist statement
As much as identity defines who we are, our culture and morals; it is always a challenge to prevent misconception, misrepresentation and misjudgment. This challenge and other issues like belonging, individualism, autonomy, gender tension make no identity idle. Through In search of a good laugh I explore the possibilities of identity within a Saudi/Middle Eastern and Australian context.
Over the past few years, I have been working with the significant visual elements that represent Arab people, creating an abstract visual catalogue of identity. The artworks suggest the colourful shapes and patterns that speak truly about Arabic diversity and culture.
Image: Blend In, 2021, photographic digital prints on fine art paper, dimensions variable, image courtesy of the artist.
‘In search of a good laugh’ at The Mill’s annual Donor Circle event (Photos: Dylan Minchenberg).