Sayed Sattar Hasan is based in Northampton. HIs practice reflects on his personal relationships with people and places and how they fit together. Projects such as My Granddad’s Car (2012 – present), seek to reconcile the geographical, cultural and emotional divides caused by migration, as well as to celebrate the unpredictable nature of life. This is also reflected in his most recent work NORTHAMPTON IS MY FATE (2015), a humorous look at the idea of the hometown and embracing circumstance. Sayed is a Goldsmiths graduate and has exhibited in gallery shows (New Art Exchange, NN Contemporary) and public installations (Heathrow, Terminal 5) in the UK, in addition to participating in international photography and art festivals; including LagosPhoto13, Format15 and the EM Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale, 2015.
Describe your practice for us:
My artistic practice is defined by the impulse to express my relationship with the world and the practicality of doing so; which are often at odds. Consequently, embracing circumstance and limitations feeds into my approach to art-making and how I realise ideas, which is increasingly multi-media based. This has led me to examine personal connections to particular places, people and ideologies. Since the narratives I develop are entwined with my everyday life, I am conscious to articulate my artistic process in ways that makes sense to the wider emotional, social and cultural landscape. It’s good to join the dots!
How long have you been practising?
Art has been my favourite subject since childhood. After my degree at Kingston, I became a professional illustrator, but I found myself exploring the Visual Arts since graduating from Goldsmiths (2009), where I did my Masters in the sociology department.
What is the most interesting/inspiring thing you have seen/been to over the last month, and why?
I was entranced by Theo Eshetu’s video works at his recent exhibition Constellations at Tiwani Contemporary. As a pioneering video artist he brings a warmth to the medium, which I really respond to. His work is intelligent, multi- layered and puts humanity at its centre. Took a look a Prem Sahib’s show at ICA. I find his success to be the most interesting part of his story at the moment. He does represent a certain spirit of the times. Finally, worth mentioning my trip to the RA to see Wei Wei. I do appreciate the logic behind his concepts.
Which other artists’ work do you admire, and why?
I always find something to draw upon from late 20th Century feminist art. It’s a really rich and interesting period of art history. Andrea Fraser’s Museum Highlights: A Gallery Talk, 1989, is hilarious and one of my favourite video works ever. Recently been looking at the work of Judy Chicago. She changed her surname to her home city in order to remove herself from the conventions of naming traditions.
I’ve also become a Hetain Patel fan since watching Be Like Water at the Royal Opera House, in 2012. I admire the fact he’s a classy entertainer and contemporary artist.
Where can people see your work?
My work can be viewed on my website and is currently featured as part of SUNSCREEN an online project curated by Candice Jacobs, produced as part of EM 15 for the Venice Biennale to accompany Doug Fishbone’s Leisure Land Golf and now on display at New Art Exchange in Nottingham.
All images courtesy of the artist.
Sayed was first interviewed in December 2015.
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