Rehab Abouseada/ Rustic Art Interview | Respect the Artist
This interview was curated by Nadia Othman
My name is Rehab Abouseada, I’m an Art teacher and artist who was born and raised in Egypt. I have been in USA for 23 years and I live in NJ.
My passion is teaching and enhancing creativity in children and create meaningful art.
How did you get your Artist name?
Rustic Art is the name for my business and it’s not always related to the art I’m creating but I like in general the vintage and rustic style.
How did you get into creating?
Since I was a child I was always putting my hands on so many things. I was making arts and crafts always and shell necklaces and sell it and in my high school time my dad encouraged me to go to art college.
Where are you from?
Originally from Egypt.
How did growing up in your neighborhood/city affect you?
Egypt in general cares a lot about art and it’s full of museums and ancient places here and there and this was a great inspiration to me.
What did you do to advance your skills/knowledge?
I studied and I got a bachelor degree in art education.
What does your current setup look like?
I have my studio at my home in the basement. It’s full of supplies and most of the time it’s a little messy but it’s a really happy mess after you spend a quality time creating a beautiful piece of art. My studio is my happy place.
Who inspires you?
So many old Egyptian artists like Salah Taher, Gazbia Serry, khaled Bekar. and nowadays they’re so many recourses online and on social media.
What is your goal when you create?
Most of the time I create when I want to express my feelings towards what’s going on around us. My painting always has to deliver a message or it has to be meaningful.
Why do you create?
Because this is my way to express my feelings. Some people speaking or writing is easier to them to express themselves but for me, creating is my way to express myself.
How has choosing your creative path affected your life?
It has positive and negative impacts. Positive because I believe in what I’m doing and It makes happy. Negative because it’s not always easy to find a good career with good income with my degree.
Did you have to overcome any obstacles along the way?
Unfortunately in the beginning when I came Islamic Schools weren’t believing in the importance of art education and I had to volunteer and work as an assistant or arabic teacher until I got a job as an art teache after 3 years or so.
What's your go-to song right now and why is it important to you?
I don’t have a specific song but I always like the meaningful songs with soft melodies.
What is your dream as an artist and what steps are you taking to reach your dream?
My dream is to have my own art gallery soon. I’m working on collection for that now and I hope I can do it soon inshaAllah.
What would you tell someone else with a dream?
Time is a treasure don’t waste it and take advantage of it when you’re young and take serious steps always to achieve your goals.
Tell us about your most recent release
My recent release was calligraphy painting and it was auctioned in a fundraising event to benefit an Islamic organization and it was sold for $6000 elhamdulelah!
Share a link to your most recent release: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLUWBW88/
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=yg50v5w4nar1&utm_content=mqv67ao
Facebook.com: https://www.facebook.com/Rusticartstyle?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Stereotype Co’s mission is to shine light on dreamers around the world.
Your support helps us continue make a difference.