Sudanese Marrwan Elhussein (Instagram) is a Dubai-based multi-talented creative who works across a range of mediums to create his unique pieces. A serial collaborator and creative, Elhussein began his journey working on portrait and fashion photography, but quickly fell in love with video, graphic design, animation and digital art.
Take us back to your childhood. When was it that you first grew an interest in the world of art? Ever since I was a little one, I’ve been immersed in my own mini universes. I’d sketch, dream up board games, invent creatures, and weave tales. It wasn’t just play; it was my early canvas.
How do you gather the courage to address topics often left unspoken in your art, how has your audience responded to these discussions?
I asked myself that I can’t be the only creative who feels this way. In a way I was reaching out for validation of how I felt. And the response always surprised me, sometimes I feel like artists and creatives are so uniquely the same.
How does it feel to share an illustration that reflects your inner thoughts, and how does this cathartic process impact you personally?
There’s this raw vulnerability when my inner thoughts become the centrepiece. I’ve always created art where I’m just an observer. With these personal pieces, I feel bare. But the true catharsis? It’s in the creation, in seeing my thoughts take shape visually. That’s pure joy to me.
Nurturing creativity requires a balance of discipline and freedom. How do you manage to strike this balance as you experiment with new artistic directions?
As a creative in this climate, you are bound to tilt towards either freedom of creation or discipline and consistency. Sometimes I have to force myself to create and sometimes I am struck by a spark of an idea and I have to chase that spark until I see it through, I don’t think I achieved that balance yet, I hope IF I do achieve that balance, art doesn’t feel routine.
How do you see your personal universe evolving, and are there particular ideas or themes you’re excited to delve into more deeply?
I am, in the most selfish way, involved in growing my personal universe, I played the role of a collaborator for so long that creating my own world feels like a guilty pleasure at this point. I am excited to dive deeper into what makes me laugh, what brings me joy, I forgot that smiling and giggling could be a part of creativity, I am diving into my own happiness within this universe I am creating.
Can you tell us about a project or piece that holds a special place in your heart, and what makes it so significant to you?
A photography project called Gossamer is something I hold so dearly to myself. Not only is it the first project that I collaborated with my wife on, but it also allowed me to dive into creativity from the perspectives of people I admired, it was a project that I always go back to and think of.
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