Jasem Alsanea is a Kuwaiti multidisciplinary artist who caught my attention with his incredible hyper-surrealistic installations inspired by Kuwaiti culture. The two sculptures I’ve shared above are titled ‘Dana in the Desert’ and ‘Bū-Daryā’.
‘Dana in the Desert’ depicts an old lady and draws upon the Kuwaiti mythology of Hmarat Al-Gaylah, addressing the aftermath of the Gulf War and the landmines left in the Kuwaiti desert. The second installation, inspired by Khaleeji mythology, portrays the water djinn Bū-Daryā, who roams the Arabian Gulf Sea. Through this artwork, Jasem explores the connections between Kuwait’s historical pearl diving economy and its current oil production economy, while also reflecting on the 1991 Iraqi invasion’s oil spill into the Kuwaiti sea.
Since childhood, Jasem has had an extremely vivid imagination that he wanted to bring to life. He began his artistic journey with performance and special effects makeup, then moved on to painting and mixed media before enrolling in the sculpture program at the Rhode Island School of Design. Today, Jasem uses sculpture, film, and virtual reality to bring his imagination into the real world.
His installations have only been exhibited in the United States so far, as he was studying and living there. However, Jasem plans to return to Kuwait this autumn, where he hopes to exhibit his work. In the meantime, if you’d like to see more of his work, including behind-the-scenes photos, check out his Instagram @jasemalsanea
5 replies on “The Hyper-Surreal Art of Jasem Alsanea”
Proud of my brother to see him sticking to his culture and roots and expose important messages through art!
A gifted and talented artist who is worthy of of investment – proud
His work is insane!
wow. amazing. what a great artist.
You sure they’re not just dead people? Damn