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      <p><span>Although many of Zahran&rsquo;s artworks are in black and white, they are imbued with a striking dichotomy; an off-kilter balance of the surreal and ordinary; a departure from common ideas of stability and permanence; and an emphasis on the malleability of ideas and perceptions.</span></p>
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      <p><strong>Can you tell us about your painting process?</strong></p>
      <p><span>It starts with some readings and sketching; they help me visualise the subjects or images that I want to portray. Some of my ideas are also taken from a few other references that I found around me including movies, news, music, and pop culture. I prefer using props instead of photo manipulation because every light and shadow in a picture is connected to one another, especially on shiny surfaces. I only use roll paper with a thickness of 120gsm and cut it to the size that I want in my drawings. The bigger the size of the paper, the more details I can draw. The pen that I always use is the Artline Drawing System with tip sizes of 0.05, 0.2, 0.4 &amp; 0.7.</span></p>
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      <p><strong>What are some of the themes in your work?</strong></p>
      <p><span>During the three years of my career as a full-time artist, the themes that I have been working with revolve around these three elements: connection, enigma, and simulacrum. Connection speaks about the assimilation of western cultures that greatly threatens the position of tradition and identity in our country; enigma focuses on the minute similarities between the viruses and humans; and simulacrum puts the conversation of the lifestyle of the digital era society under the spotlight. Different themes employ specific techniques of drawing, for example in connection, I incorporate the line technique, low poly as well as stripling whereas enigma welcomes abstract style into my work by only using dots.</span></p>
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      <p><span><strong>I&rsquo;d love to know more about your current work. What can you tell us about Simulacrum?</strong></span></p>
      <p><span>The simulacrum is the most ambitious project I have ever done so far. This is the second theme that I use in the stippling technique. Photorealism is an example of artistic simulacrum, where a drawing is produced by copying a picture and the picture is also a copy of the real thing. I got the inspiration for this theme from the book </span><span>Simulacra and Simulation </span><span>by Jean Baudrillard. The French sociologist describes the relationship between reality, symbols and society, in particular the significations and symbolism of culture and media involved in constructing an understanding of shared existence.</span></p>
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      <p><span>Many people prefer to live in a cosy, false reality that is convenient and comfortable because you just have to remain ignorant about everything that could burst your bubble. So, the question then is: do we actually want the truth?</span></p>
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      <p><span>In this sophisticated age, almost everyone uses gadgets as their external life. Many people prefer to live in a cosy, false reality that is convenient and comfortable because you just have to remain ignorant about everything that could burst your bubble. So, the question then is: do we actually want the truth? If asked, most people will probably answer &ldquo;yes&rdquo; to this question. In some cases, we welcome the truth. In other cases, we hide from it, temporarily suspend it, reject it and even wish to forget the truth if we have that option.</span></p>
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      <p><strong>How do you wish viewers to respond to your artwork?</strong></p>
      <p><span>When I produce artwork, I want people to be curious. I want to make people wonder about the story behind my drawings. I like when my drawings speak to the viewers and form a personal connection with them. I also hope that the audience will share the experiences that they feel from my artworks with other people.</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Photography</strong> Herbe Yap</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Creative direction and styling</strong> Syazil Abd Rahim</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Makeup</strong> Joey yap</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Hair</strong> Nicole Ng</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Photography assistant </strong>Floyd</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>All outfits by COS</strong></p>

Interview: Noor Zahran on seeing the world through dots

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