Between the memory of Summer and questions of identity, he spends his time

Suad Al-Muajjal, Omar Al-Qaissy

Omar Al-Qaissy is a young artist born in 1992 in Tunisia, who lived in Austria and currently works in the United Kingdom. He is a young man divided between two cultures: Eastern, by virtue of his Iraqi origin, and Western, due to his Austrian nationality. Despite his artistic creations and participation in several painting exhibitions in various European, Asian, and Arab countries, he has excelled in the art of tattooing, which has become a popular art form. His drawings and engravings delve into the depth of civilizations in the Arab region, such as the Sumerian civilization in Mesopotamia. His art extends across West Asia, addressing myths that span from the Babylonians to the Persians, as well as Arabic writings and manuscripts. Through his drawings, he translates the rich cultural and civilizational heritage of these regions into beautiful art for today’s generation.

Omar Al-Qaissy participated in several exhibitions in London, Berlin, Paris, Singapore, and Bangkok. Kuwait played a significant role in the artist’s participation; he took part in the Boushri Hall exhibition in 2023, and had a virtual participation in 2020 in an art exhibition in Kuwait. I met him in the Austrian capital, Vienna, and was captivated by his drawings, which break away from the traditional framework of art. I felt that an interview with him through Al-Qabas newspaper might bring Omar Al-Qaissy’s art closer to the world of art and youthful creativity in Kuwait.

**Beginnings with Drawing and Colors**

When asked about his beginnings, Omar Al-Qaissy expressed that he was always fascinated by drawing, colors, and art in general. He saw all of these as a refuge for expression through his art, sometimes even replacing the need for language. Omar believes that arts in all their forms ultimately serve as a channel through which youth can shout, speak, and oppose freely, expressing smoothly everything that occupies their consciousness. For him, art is a window for direct and aesthetic expression.

Regarding his fascination with the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Greater Asia, Omar explains that he did not grow up in his homeland but visited it only as a tourist. This experience has long stirred questions of identity and belonging within him, prompting many inquiries. Omar believes that the answers to these questions would come through his art and drawings. Consequently, he immersed himself in exploring Islamic arts and embodying them in his paintings, which allowed him to revive his pride and sense of belonging to this civilization, bringing him closer to it than ever before through his art. Nevertheless, despite ten years having passed since Omar began his artistic journey exploring the heritage and civilization of the East, he states that the journey is still in its early stages. Exploration remains on the surface and periphery of the abundant richness and artistic abundance contained within these civilizations. Perhaps, as he puts it, the opportunity would not have allowed him such extensive exploration had he not grown up and lived in the Western part of the world. This experience sparked his curiosity to explore his roots through his brush, art, and creativity.

**Kuwaiti Participations**

Omar Al-Qaissy has not strayed far from Kuwait. He participated in an exhibition at the Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah in 2019, in addition to other participations. His painting “Lovers” received appreciation and was published in the cultural supplements of the Kuwaiti press.

Regarding his artistic shift toward tattooing in most of his works, Omar Al-Qaissy attributes this to his upbringing in Tunisia, where he was captivated by the beautiful engravings on the faces of Berber women there. Although he did not understand the meaning of those beautiful engravings at the time, he saw them as symbols of strength, resilience, and endurance. Thus, tattooing entered Omar Al-Qaissy’s artistic sphere, and he was later attracted to the vibrant colors of Japanese tattooing. From this emerged his project to develop the art of tattooing, whose roots trace back to the heritage of West Asia.

**Merging Tattoo with Fine Arts**

Artist Omar Al-Qaissy defends the art of tattooing, viewing it as a creative endeavor akin to paintings, sculptures, and carving. The difference lies in who uses tattooing in their art. There are those who do not practice it with artistic professionalism and aesthetic precision, while others have merged tattooing with fine arts and artistic creativity, resulting in distinguished, refined, and expressive works.

**A New Cultural Reality**

When asked about the future, artist Omar Al-Qaissy says he aspires for such arts to integrate with cultures one day. Regardless of the motivations behind tattoo art—whether the drive is to cement cultural roots or purely aesthetic—he aims to establish what resembles a tradition of tattooing in West Asia.

Artist Omar Al-Qaissy reflects, through his art, ambitions, and creations, a new and different cultural reality shaped by social and technological transformations. In this art, authenticity intersects with modernity, where local identity meets openness to the world, its cultures, civilizations, and historical heritage.