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New York-based Egyptian artist Youssef Nabil is young, famous, much-in-demand and surprisingly, fairly down-to-earth. However as artists are wont to possess, Nabil too has his quirks and requests to move our meeting from The Thirdline Gallery– where, he’s having his third show in the past three years– to a cafe because he finds his familiar environment too distracting too have a conversation. “This is like having a chat with a friend and more relaxed, don’t you think?” asks Nabil in his soft-spoken style. His works are bold and thought-provoking, but Nabil remains shy and reticent and seemingly unaffected by the buzz his works create in the art circles.

Youssef Nabil in one of his self-portraits– My time to go, Venice

What’s the major difference between Dubai and New York? I reckon there are more similarities than difference between Dubai and New York. In fact, there are more differences between Paris, where I used to live earlier, and New York. Dubai is very interesting, business-driven, promoter of big projects and like New York, it’s also a land of opportunities. The potpourri of different nationalities makes it feel much like the Big Apple. Dubai is a very young and promising city and as an Arab I’m proud to see it grow as an Arab country that can stand up to the best in the world.

Do you ever feel dissociated with the Arab world because you’re so far away? No, never. You carry the city with you and your history and heritage. You think about where you come from all the time. It’s a technology-friendly and a small world. Sometimes, I could live in a city and not meet a friend there for six months. So distance doesn’t matter as much anymore.

Why New York? It just happened. I was in Paris and decided to go to New York. It’s a great art place. I’ve been going there to visit since many years but now that I live there, I definitely believe it is a great city.

What kind of inspiration do you seek for the self-portraits? Or is it just chronicling your life? It’s closely related to my life. It’s what I think about most of the time. Not my life, per say, but life in general, and death. It’s a metaphorical expression about being at one place and then leaving. You meet people, have relationships in a place and then you leave. Life and death are pretty similar to this phenomenon.

Do you miss Egypt? I miss people, food but I travel to Egypt twice a year and it rejuvenates me. I try not to be away for too long.

Is a place like Dubai too new for you having lived in cities such as Cairo, Paris and NY? It’s a young city, no doubt. But I try not to compare it to any other city. You’ve to take it as it is. I like that it’s very cosmopolitan and they are promoting art. They are trying to do positive things here with regards to contemporary art and move forward.

Where do you think the emirate is heading with these initiatives? Art Dubai is becoming one of the important art fairs internationally. They are certainly doing things right.

Who are your favourite artists? I like Frida Kahlo, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Anna Mendieta.

Has art become more provocative now? Art has always been a little provocative; it’s just the manifestation of different mediums that makes it stand out. Technology is one dimension that wasn’t available before but now it is being incorporated into art.

Does technology take away from the very essence of art? It depends on how you present it. If it’s too technological and devoid of emotions, then art hasn’t served its purpose. For me, the portrayal of feelings and emotions in an artwork is very important. It’s not just about beauty alone but what you feel when you look at a piece of art.

You still prefer film to digital formats? I prefer the old techniques, but the images are modern and contemporary and they present my life.

When did you realise that you wanted to be an artist? I was always very attached to anything visual. I would cut images from magazines that I liked and I loved watching movies. The idea of telling a story fascinated me. I like to tell stories through my work. I’m a nostalgic person and it shows in my work.

The biggest life-changing moment in your life? When I discovered the concept of death, it was a big shock to me. It was a terrible discovery to know that someone you love, you are attached to, can just go away forever one day. It had a big effect on me.

How do you relax? Writing, travelling, watching movies– especially Federico Fellini’s movies. I like reading biographies and philosophy books. Recently, I read a book of interviews with Fellini. I don’t read fiction. Sometimes, real life sounds more like a dream, work of fiction.

Where do you like to travel? Mediterranean, Alexandria, Italy, Spain. I feel very connected to my Mediterranean roots. I’m half-Egyptian, quarter-Lebanese and quarter-Greek. Even though there was a lot of Lebanese influence around me, culturally I feel Egyptian. The main flavour remains Egyptian, but Greek and Lebanese are also a part of it.

What does it feel like to have gained so much fame at such a young age? I try not to think about it too much. I focus on my work.

Photo credit: All images courtesy of Youssef Nabil and The Thirdline gallery.

Youssef Nabil’s third solo exhibition– I will go to Paradise runs until April 9, 2009 at The Third Line gallery, Dubai. The works refer to a misplaced nostalgia of a past era in his signature re-appropriation of the hand colouring technique of black and white photographs. I will go to Paradise encapsulates loose references to selected moments from the artist’s life. Nabil views his life as a movie and the captured images are certainly cinematic in their compositions and allusions to narrative. As the title of the exhibition suggests, I will go to Paradise, builds on Nabil’s obsession with and acceptance of death. In these liminal scenes, he lingers between worldly realities and serene dreams, loneliness and fame, tinged with sex and death. For more information call the The Thirdline gallery at +9714- 341 1367.