Legends and Heroes
by Zaina El Said
This work appears in Khabar Keslan Issue 1. DISORIENT
I come from a mixed background. From the North Caucasus and Mesopotamia, reared in the Middle East and educated in Europe and Russia. My upbringing was divided between a tribal/military atmosphere, and artists and designers. My artwork followed a similar pattern: a central character, a hero or authority, leads the work and is interwoven within a story of patterns, ideas, architecture and details that belong to completely different origins. I focus on creating harmony through differences, and oneness from contrast of color and ideas to convey the importance of transcending divisions if one is to focus on beauty.
Zaina El Said was born and raised in Amman, Jordan. Her artistic journey began in 2010 by painting regional Arab culture and folklore. She then began to explore different mediums, such as collage and digital art--cutting out images from magazines, fairty tale books, posters and endless material found in nature to create a surreal narrative. Zaina held solo and group exhibitions in Jordan, and around the Middle East and Europe. Her works have been exhibited internationally in various art events and fairs.