Abdullah Yahia
Cardiff, South Wales
Creative
Waves crashing along the shore sets the background music, contemplation as I take a drag on a cigarette, a sip of coffee I close my eyes and daydream. I get asked “who are you?” often, nine times out of ten I don’t have the answer. My Mothers child, my Fathers last born, I guess the uncertainty, as I drift through life, everyday, every breath, every learning minute, I’m searching for the correct way to answer the question with more than just an identification. Until understanding is met, I’m sonder.
I live in a place a stones throw away from the coast, a stones throw away from the valleys, the mountains, Cardiff, a melting pot of people and culture. Majority of the time I feel as if it’s a roundabout with no exit route and everyone is going in the same direction waiting for the same exit route to appear, some find it, some still call this place “home” you can’t deny its beauty and acceptance of others. My work is a reflection of the places I’ve fell in love with here, inspired by my surroundings in these areas, pieces of the puzzle. People, characters, stories, and history moulded to form a daydream an idea. I hate the question “What inspires you?” I find it so hard to answer, because the true answer is so much deeper, youngest out of 9 with generations spanning the eras a lot of inspiration for me was at ‘home’ everything lack thereof is subconsciously embedded in me.
I would like to think people see my work, especially my conceptual work and build their own narrative be that emotional or emotionless, it’s a weird ol’ time in the ‘digital age’ people don’t stop and look it’s swipe, swipe, swipe I try to stop them in their tracks and evoke a thought, a reaction, feeling, something to slow them down. Someone described my work as ‘dream state’ and another said they wouldn’t buy it but they love it nonetheless. I think with the ‘digital age’ people are constantly selling you something or trying to sell themselves, I’m giving you a part of me and my perspective.
I’m currently working on a project titled ‘valley’ which is culmination of my works, a reinvention so to say.
Here’s a poem I wrote.
We find ourselves drowning amongst the waves
Our memories distant as we slowly drift away.
I hate open spaces, no fucks to give, love.
Just love to give in to. Daydreaming, the darkness
Falls, six feet below as the flowers grow above, we’re
In-bloom, our season, free of pain, at peace, I’m dying
To see her smile one more time, life’s a fantasy
On my mind.
IG @aurcut