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How a Gen Z artist balances passion with school

At 15, Afshan Khan stands as a self-taught artist known for detailed paintings, and aims to create a positive social impact with her art

Published: Tue 30 Jul 2024, 4:42 PM

Updated: Tue 30 Jul 2024, 4:43 PM

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Afshan Khan has been painting since a very young age. Her interest in art deepened at the age of 9, when she would often visualise the events that happened in the books which she read.

The artist looks back, reminiscing how her younger self got into art, and says, in a chat with City Times, "As a kid, I used to look outside the car window and observe various patterns. The marvellous architecture on the buildings and mosques of UAE intrigued me. This led me to do more of historical and architectural paintings."

And her parents, recognising their daughter's talent, encouraged her to hone it even further.

Now, at 15, Afshan stands as a self-taught artist known for detailed paintings. Through her diverse body of artwork, which includes sustainable art, she aims to create a positive social impact on society.

She has won multiple awards, met the Ruler of Sharjah, exhibited internationally, participated in more than 25 art exhibitions globally, won nine inter-school art competitions including UNICEF-MENA Blue Dot for Cop28 and also holds the position of General Secretary India Department in UNESCO International Art Action. At 15, these achievements are quite commendable.

As a Gen Z, Afshan is also keen on upping her social media game, continuously sharing her artwork on social media platforms.

We further delve into the life of Afshan Khan and learn what art means to her, the influence of social media platforms in her life as an artist, and how a Gen Z manages their passion with their duty towards academics and school life. Excerpts from the interview:

What is art to you? Tell us how different emotions and experiences shape your artwork, and how you translate feelings into visual art.

To me, art is self expression. I draw and paint the way I feel like. Art is a window that opens to stories and traditions. I recently watched the movie Titanic and it was filled with myriad sentiments. I immediately grabbed a canvas and painted the scene where Jack and Rose are together in the ocean to express the feeling of undying love and sacrifice. I named that painting ‘Eternal love’. Similarly, I made another painting labelled ‘Climate Change’ to create an impact by stressing on how humans are responsible for climate change. I have always believed that art is a way to capture unexpressed feelings and emotions. So that’s what I like to do; I paint things since it enables me to be insanely expressive in my own manner.

'Eternal Love' by Afshan Khan

'Eternal Love' by Afshan Khan

'Climate Change' by Afshan Khan

'Climate Change' by Afshan Khan

How do you incorporate modern trends into your artwork? Do current events, pop culture, and trends impact your art style and themes?

Modern trends have a heavy influence on art. I like to stay updated about what’s going on in the world so that my artwork can keep up with contemporary society. I challenge myself to explore different art mediums and tools. I paint about social issues going around in the world. I always participate in the many art challenges and trends that circulate around through social media platforms. It’s necessary for us artists to keep up with modern trends and pop culture since art is seen as a way to create impact and result.

As a 15-year-old who goes to school, how do you balance your passion for art and your duties toward academics? Share your experience managing time between schoolwork and your passion for art, and also offer tips to other young artists.

I’m a high school student in Grade 10 and its very important for me to balance studies and my passion for art. Time management, patience and dedication is the key to this. Many consider that art can affect studies negatively but it actually makes it better. I consider art to be very therapeutic. It is a way for me to escape stress and work more efficiently. However during exams, I put artwork aside and concentrate only on my studies. This teaches me patience which is required in every field. Along with this, I think that art is a learning journey. My classmates and friends at school appreciate my work and provide me with feedback. Their opinions help me to challenge myself and go beyond my limits for art. They regard me as the Picasso of my school. According to me, an artist should always be ready to take criticism along with the compliments. My advice to the other young aspiring artists is that you should create a schedule and manage time carefully to balance school while doing art. Never compromise with your studies or simply leave art, instead create routines and set goals. Start keeping track of deadlines for your assignments and combine your studies with art. Another advice is to believe in yourself and never hesitate to experiment and follow your passion.

You're Gen Z and social media is a key part of your life. What's the influence of social media platforms in your life as an artist, and how do platforms like Instagram or TikTok have helped you share your work and connect with other artists?

There is no doubt that social media is a great platform to showcase art and get recognised by a wide audience. Working consistently on social media platforms have helped me to collaborate with many art sharing pages and has helped me to network with many global artists. A few of my Instagram reels have gone viral and received commendable feedback where people, especially the youth, have found my content to be relatable and inspiring. Social media has also helped me to find potential customers to sell my paintings and work for commissioned pieces. When we talk about this, the question of the abuse of AI and related technologies becomes an issue. I, as a socially responsible artist, stand very firmly on the side of authenticity, originality and authorship. I fully intend to use my talent as an artist in the days to come to tackle the subject of the misuse of technology. Being on social media has helped me to grow, inspire and learn. Creating original content on social media can also be challenging since you need to consistently post and think out of the box to engage with your audience.

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