Sara Naim: Capturing the Physical Effects of Light

Sara Naim, 24, is holding her first solo show When the Lights Went off We Saw at the Pavilion Downtown Dubai. Naim, of Syrian origin, grew up in Dubai but moved back to London to study, where she completed a BA in Photography from the London College of Communication in 2010. Directly after, she worked for photographer Ryan McGinley in New York, where this series began. Sara has exhibited in Dubai, London, Cologne, New York, Arles, Jura and Guernsey. We spoke with Naim recently.

Elan: Can you tell us a little bit about your professional background?

Sara Naim: After graduating from university in London, I did work experience at Ryan McGinley Studios in New York. Within a few weeks my love affair with the city began, and I stayed for 6 months. I worked for a few photographers and developing my own practice, started my website and blog, and applied for an O1 Visa. I had to leave because my current visa expired, so I went to Dubai. I thought I would be there for a month as I waited for my visa, but one year later I’m still here. The ball started rolling in Dubai- I met great people in the industry and was happy to establish myself as a Dubai-based, Arab artist. So when the visa came, I ignored it. I worked for a short period at a gallery, had several exhibitions, gave a few speeches, applied for my masters, and freelanced. Now, I’m about to move to London to pursue my MA Fine Art at The Slade.

Elan: Why are you interested in capturing light? How did you become interested in the subject?

SN: I wrote my university thesis on lightness and darkness, I’ve always been interested in it’s juxtapositions. Light is omnipresent, and yet it’s intangible. It’s the source of color, yet it has no color itself. A lot of my work is about this flux, or the physicality of the intangible. For example, I’ve photographed dead skin cells, sound vibrations, and corneas of the human eye.

Elan: What has been the greatest challenge in your career?

SN: Executing my ideas. I have so many but I often ignore them, due to time restraint or pessimism that it may not turn out as I want it to. I’ve just started to overcome that habit now.

Elan: What do you hope people take away from your art?

SN: I think having a sole objective limits the different possibilities and potentials of the work. If I say I want people to leave with a new perspective about how it is that we see, then anything else a viewer has felt, would be undermined.

Elan: What advice would you give to up and coming artists?

SN: Work for an artist in New York that inspires you. Have a platform where you expose your art. Disseminate your work to magazines, websites and blogs. Go to exhibition openings and socialize. Dedicate time to learn about other artists and their practice.