We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nihal Ahmed. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nihal below.
Alright, Nihal thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
The most meaningful project I have worked on to date is undoubtedly my undergraduate thesis exhibition, “nascent.” Really, this project was far more than simply an exhibition featuring work from my 4 years at Xavier University, but rather it was a culmination of years worth of research, music, visuals, and wandering that amalgamated into a larger experience. After feeling incredibly lost in my journey as a visual artist, I took what was essentially a 2-month retreat to Pakistan over the summer of 2022. It was there that I found myself able to escape the confines of my everyday life and experience a bit of personal metamorphosis. I felt myself beginning to understand the grandness of the world a little better and recognize how little I knew of the future — and how that was okay. I took this newfound drive and became obsessed with making music — sampling and producing until I crafted an album. This “mixtape,” as I called it, is the soundtrack of my gallery show and the spiritual center of all the artwork, research, and life that has gone into this project. I see “nascent” now as a place for dialogue for young people like me. A place to recognize the nascency of your life and cling tightly to these feelings of wonder.
Nihal, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Nihal Ahmed, a first generation Pakistani-American from Cincinnati, OH who has always been deeply passionate about the arts. Becoming an artist was never really a conscious decision I had to make — it was the only option for me. All my life, I wanted to be an artist, since my teachers asked me in kindergarten I never even considered anything else. Regardless of what my parents hoped and prayed for (no squandering the American-dream, you know?), there was no Plan B.
I took every avenue I could find in immersing myself in the arts, from traditional media to digital compositing to musical performance and everything in between. But as a product of my time and the age of the internet, I quickly found my voice as a designer.
As a young person, you usually take on creative endeavors to get a reaction out of your peers. I know that when I started out, what I wanted most was to make things that genuinely impressed my friends. Yeah painting was cool and all, but I was never to be the next Rockwell no matter how hard I tried. But recreating the cover of “Wish You Were Here” in Photoshop or making the “coldest” poster for a local gig? That came naturally. It became an obsession of mine to seek and emulate good design, taking inspiration from a myriad of outlets in pop culture and incorporating that into my own work. A little Virgil Abloh here, a little Jennet Liaw there — I’ve found my most compelling work has come from filling my canvas with noise and seeing what cuts through. That’s where the best design lives. That’s my voice.
And this voice, this approach, is my greatest asset in working with others — whether that be clients, brands, or other artists. I’m unafraid to fail when it comes to design and I’m unafraid to let my tastes change as I begin to consume more art. I always want to reach beyond what I’m capable of at this moment in time, forcing myself to find the solution and grow as a creative.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
What’s driving me now is the knowledge that I’m capable of doing so much more with art and design. I haven’t exactly “made it” yet and I’m not really sure what “making” it will look like. I’ve held several positions as a designer and creative lead so far, each critical for my growth and an opportunity to learn for my next position. I’ve had the pleasure of being surrounded by so many bright, compelling artists and individuals who are doing things that excite me. Large-scale gallery exhibitions, underground musicians, major label breakthroughs, national publications — I’ve been able to have my hand in all of these experiences and still I yearn to do more. I don’t want to slow down, I want to be in a position where I can say yes to any opportunity that arises and be a part of something bigger than myself. I’m not interested in celebrity — I’m chasing a legacy.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
We’re at a crux in the landscape of technological revolution in the arts. I know that I have raved about my digital prowess and my endless pursuit to make sensational things, but what makes art a compelling endeavor at all is the humanistic component that comes along with it. Still, the mainstream conversations of AI art don’t particularly scare me. I’ve seen first hand how this rampantantly digitized landscape has pushed people to pursue analog approaches like never before. And that excites me. I don’t believe in the oversaturation of the art world. I want more people making more things that make me feel. Things that haunt me; things that inspire me. I think we all want that. Who wants to live in a world where the people suffer and the robots make the art? If society wants to support a thriving creative ecosystem, then two things must happen. Creatives: forsake the algorithm and start making things that make you feel something. Consumers: forego your convenience and seek out work that makes you genuinely feel something.
Contact Info:
- Website: nahxmed.com
- Instagram: @nahxmed
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/nahxmed
- Other: https://nahxmed.bandcamp.com/
Image Credits
All images copyrighted Nihal Ahmed