Reconstructing Visual Narratives Through Artistic Renewal

Name: Ginou Choueiri
Location: Earth
Ginou’s Sketches N Stuff: http://www.ginouchoueiri.blogspot.com/
Portfolio: http://www.ginou.mosaicglobe.com
Follow Ginou on Twitter: @ginou_choueiri

Brief artists statement
As human beings, we have all been shaped, one way or another, by our environment, education, and upbringing , all of which condition who we become. By accessing the infinite possibilities of the imagination we are able to transcend these limitations, and new ways of seeing the world opens up. I explore the unconscious as a possible terrain to understand what I am, navigating back and forth, between my inner and outer realities, the individual and the mass, the specific and universal. It is here, in the “in-between”, where my works resides.

How did you become an artist? Did you always dream of a life in the art-world?

My mother was a kindergarden teacher and always encouraged me to be creative as a child, so I was always drawing and making thing. However I never considered art as a profession, but a hobby – one that I no longer had time for when I started a career in advertising. Eventually, I got tired of the corporate world and felt a growing urge to paint. In 2002 travelled to Barcelona to participate in a contemporary art workshop. I have been making art ever since.

Which historical and contemporary artists do you refer to most often? How are you influenced by their work?

I have been influenced by different artists at different stages of my life. When I became interested in painting, I was strongly inspired by the surreal and oneiric, such as the worlds of Fridha Kahlo who had a strong influence on my early paintings. I then discovered the surreal pop movement and the likes of Mark Ryden. In Barcelona, I was influenced by the street art movement, which is when I started using spray paint and stenciling technique in my paintings. Recently I came across the works of Alejandro Jodorowsky, a filmmaker, writer, healer – a true master who’s vision and philosophy resonates deeply in me.

What are the other influences on your work?

I like to play around with images, juxtaposing what normally doesn’t belong together to create uncommon associations. I collect symbolic images found in different mythologies, religions, fairytales, and pop cultures- all of which form part of the collective unconscious- which I then use to reconstruct my personal visual narratives.

What’s your best trait?
I am very curious and this always pushes me to learn, explore and renew myself.

What’s your worst trait?
I easily get distracted and have a tendency to procrastinate.

Do you have a quotation that you keep coming back to and that keeps you going?

When I go through a moments of doubts, questioning everything from my choice of socks to my path in life, this quote comes to mind:

“Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.” – Khalil Gibran

Will you remember this interview when you are famous?
If this interview will make me famous, then how could I forget it?

Finish this rhyme: Art is…creation, and creation is life.