Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shabana Kauser. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Shabana, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity and featuring my story. Resilience continues to drive me and be a part of who I am. So this is a great first question!
My resilience comes from undesired experiences, the ones I don’t welcome or want to go through, but they were going to happen anyway. Those crucial moments are what has shaped me, taught me more about myself, my ability to fight through, and get to where I need to be.
My first major experience of resilience stems back to my late childhood. I was born and raised in the UK. I grew up in a conservative, Pakistani, immigrant household. My parents left Kashmir and raised their children in the suburbs of London. They held onto traditions and values they knew, some I enjoyed and others I rejected. As a first generation immigrant those constant challenges of belonging and acceptance existed in both cultures. Racism was a part of life for every South Asian person I knew at the time. Then home life was challenging, my family had a very specific expectations from me. One major one, was for me to marry someone of my parent’s choice, a man I had never met, never seen, didn’t know anything about, fit into an expected role of a housewife and conform. At the time, there were no helplines or charities to reach out to for help (I am happy to share that much later in 2014, forced marriage became illegal in the UK. Then with charities and the government investing resources towards this human rights issue).
At the age of 21 I rejected a forced marriage, finding the courage to stand up to my family and an entire community, where everyone around me remained silent, or assured me it’s the expected thing to do, was a tough battle. I left a community I thought I knew and my family home, and set up life solo. I could not predict the exact severity of the outcome, but I knew as a minimum I would be outcasted and at times fear for my safety. I have had my fair share of hatred thrown at me from a young age. I worked through that tough, make or break time, grew up very fast, advanced my education, and learned to push myself from opportunity to opportunity.
On the outside looking in, it’s very easy to share what you would do in a given situation, the reality of what people actually do when they face tough circumstances, isolation, unsure of how they will financially survive and live, are two very different things. I choose to use my life experiences to grow. I continue to trust my gut instinct and work towards the positive.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a visual artist, I create portraits, still life oil paintings, and mixed media art that represents South Asian culture. Each one of the stories behind my work, has a universal message of strength, courage, determination, uncertainty and belonging.
From my very first gallery show in March 2017 in Rogers, Arkansas, I have now shared my art in numerous galleries, museums and art fairs across the US. In 2022, I had the privilege of having my oil painting titled ‘Bahin’, displayed on the outside of Fort Smith Regional Art Museum in Arkansas, as well as a solo gallery show inside the museum, that was a proud moment! I have been invited to share my story through artist lectures and many community events. My work has rapidly been growing and opening up an abundance of opportunities. Art collectors have enjoyed culture on canvas, hearing my story and carrying it forward by enjoying my work in their homes!
Prior to my move to America, I grew up on the suburbs of London in the UK, and then Central London was my home for several years. That’s where I achieved my undergraduate degree in Business IT and then my Masters Degree in Information Management. I worked in the corporate world. Then as we were living our happy, content lives in London, one day, my husband was offered a work opportunity in Northwest Arkansas. It was a tough decision for me to leave London, so my husband moved here first and we agreed to give it a few months and see how he liked it. 6 months later, I joined him in the US. Unfortunately, the move came with some restrictions. My visa did not allow me to work for almost 7 years. Leaving behind a productive life with a career, made my transition tough. I felt disconnected from the community for a number of years. This was one of those life experiences I did not welcome, but it was happening regardless, and it was down to me to experience it and then grow.
I enjoyed art classes at school in the UK, and right up to the age of 16. I never thought about it any further as a career. Creative career paths were not encouraged by many immigrant families I knew. So, I gravitated towards the business world and kept going. It’s only until I moved to the US, and through the frustrating immigration process and being unable to work, I discovered my love for creating again. While I was unable to work, I tried hard to stay busy and keep my mind active. I volunteered in the community, did projects around the house, and went to as many social events as I could. I didn’t feel challenged enough. While my confidence was dwindling, I was in a place where I could easily have travelled down a dark spiral, or I could keep fighting and refuse to give up. One day, I thought about what I enjoyed doing before I took on financial responsibilities. I went through my childhood, and one thing stood out, over and over again, it was art! I used to enjoy drawing and always looked forward to art classes at school. So, I began looking for local art classes and just happened to find an oil painting workshop starting the following week. I approached the art class with little expectation from myself, my main aim was to learn and enjoy my time. After a few finished paintings and sharing my work online, I immediately got positive feedback from friends and family. They saw something in me, that I couldn’t see in myself at the time. I didn’t read too much into it and carried on learning, then I was approached to create my first commission. That’s when I realized I was capable of doing something very different with my future. When my work permit eventually arrived, I decided to launch my art career. After being so disconnected from the community, art helped me to reconnect with people in a whole new way. The rich conversations it opens up, the opportunities, the way people connect with you and your work, I never imagined it to be this powerful.
Art gave me the courage to share my culture and journey. The dupatta (traditional scarf) is universal throughout South Asia, and a powerful visual that not only connects to my personal background, where we were constantly surrounded by traditional fabrics and my mother’s passion for sewing South Asian clothes, but it also resonates with a diverse range of people. It’s been very powerful showing portraits of women wearing the dupatta in the arts. Traditional South Asian fabrics are interlaced throughout my paintings. My work represents beauty, strength and determination, just some of the traits I saw in women I grew up around.
Each year is an exciting year with lots of things in the works! I encourage anyone that wants to learn more about my work, to visit my website and connect with me on Facebook and Instagram.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Growth, gratitude and momentum are the three main qualities that I have tried to grow, year on year. As a self employed creative, I found myself studying these areas even more. The outcome of consistently practicing these skills has helped me to develop my work, and navigate an industry that was once very new me.
As a self taught artist, my mental growth has directly impacted absolutely everything! I think back to my very first exhibition on March 2017. I was nervous, out of my depth, but determined to push through. I worked with the knowledge I had and with a learner mindset. My very first exhibition was a huge success, with guests pouring out into the street from the gallery. We had gallery visitors leave past the advertised time, and that always makes me smile! After that particular evening, I realized I was capable of achieving far more in the arts, and that would require growth. I knew that I was not going to obtain my long term goals, with the same knowledge I had back then.
Learning for me has come in so many different forms, from workshops, online resources, books, to reaching out to fellow creatives for support and advice, and so much more. My biggest advice with regards to growth as an artist, is to learn from those that have already achieved the results you desire. If the person in question is local and obtainable, I would encourage you to visit their events, if possible ask them questions, attend their workshops or artist talks, study their work pattern and observe. Then think about how it can inspire your work. When I was starting out, I found local artists to be very approachable. They were generous sharing their knowledge. Now, when new artists approach me for input, I try and give back as and where I can. If you want to learn from an artist that is unobtainable, check them out online, buy their book(s), study interviews they have done, and be resourceful! Obtaining knowledge from creatives, not only gives me hope, but it continues to help me fine tune my journey. My knowledge grows each year, and I know there is still a lot to learn at every level of my career.
Momentum has been a vital skill that I continue to nurture. Having momentum for creating, working on one exhibit after another with genuine enthusiasm, finding new opportunities, all while dealing with rejection after rejection from galleries, art opportunities and funding, has been imperative. The art industry will always present rejections to creatives, it’s inevitable. It’s up to me to keep pushing forward, and not let that hinder my overall success. That’s where a strong momentum makes a difference. Now, if you’re wondering how I build that momentum? …that would be a whole other interview!
Practicing gratitude more often has allowed me to enjoy what I do, attract better opportunities, and overcome obstacles quicker. Sometimes, that can be honing in on the smallest things, such as having to pack art for a show. Instead of focusing on how tedious the tasks is, I have learned to think about what the opportunity means to me and the exciting impact it will have on my work long term. Then Packing my art becomes just one step away from achieving that exciting opportunity. A gratitude mindset has altered my work flow in many ways.
It’s always a learning curve, not just with artistic skills and the creative industry, but also about myself and external factors.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I tend to lean on a small, selective circle of friends, family and my husband. That’s where I feel supported, celebrated and encouraged to grow. Fellow creatives and those in the arts, have been great to reach out to for advice and encouragement. It’s a healthy conversation when you meet driven individuals who are carving out their path and focused on their unique results. That has impacted me greatly.
I also enjoy learning from unobtainable role models and people that inspire me. We have a home full of books and I’m constantly adding books shelfs! I have a long list of podcasts, tedtalks, audio books that I work through. Dipping into outside influences like this has helped me to overcome challenges, work on myself and offer far more to others through my art.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shabanakauserart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shabanakauserart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shabanakauserart/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shabanakauserart/
Image Credits
In order of images uploaded (after headshot)… Shabana Kauser pictured with her oil painting titled ‘Dupatta #1’ A selection of original oil paintings, with traditional fabrics and dupattas displayed in Shabana’s studio Shabana pictured outside Fort Smith Regional Art Museum in 2022, where her oil painting titled ‘Bahin’ was featured on the outside of the museum A glimpse of Shabana’s solo museum exhibition at Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, Arkansas in 2022 Original Oil painting titled ‘Dupatta #7’ by Shabana Kauser Original Oil painting titled ‘Ustad’ by Shabana Kauser
