Advocating Artists

Ahmad Al Rashid talks about developing Talk Curated Creatives to provide a space to foster artists across all media

When Ahmad Al Rashid left Kuwait at 17 to study in France on a scholarship, it was years after being desperate to get out and see the world to satisfy a curiosity he says he was born with. “I always loved art and I always wondered how I could see art, touch art, and meet people who made art,” said Al Rashid.

He remained in France for eight years where he studied event management, design, and public relations, before returning to Kuwait at 26 as he describes “a completely different person” where he continued to work in events and weddings for two years.

He then returned to Europe where he lived and worked I Italy and Amsterdam, where he credits becoming a better adult owing to the Dutch people being very direct and liking structure, before finally coming to Dubai in 2018.

His Dubai journey really kicked off after COVID in collaboration with Foundry Downtown Dubai. “I wanted to record a podcast where I would share inspiring, post-COVID stories of artists living in the UAE. I think we needed positive and sad stories because behind every there is a lesson,” he said.

Since then, he has met so many artists and curators and directors and he started helping galleries after the pandemic by curating dinners and arranging Zoom calls and creating a network. From there his agency, Talk Curated Creatives, was born with an aim to help artists participate in international events. Last year, during World Art Dubai, he curated the urban art space with a focus on graffiti.

During the event, he met all the emerging artists to see the problems they had. “I wanted to know why, with the incredible creatives in Dubai, are there only two events that meet their needs. There is a gap where thousands of people are looking for spaces, so I use my platform and my branding to help them. Many artists don’t know how to sell and be an entrepreneur, but they have to if they want to survive. It’s not enough just to be good at art, you have to understand the business side as well and now I’m creating space to support all artists within the ecosystem,” said Al Rashid.

Ahmad Al Rashid’s advice for aspiring artists:

1. Be open, observant and curious to new ideas and beliefs.
2. Be true to yourself but also be aware that you are part of a bigger community.
3. Learn to network and learn to make people believe in you as much as you believe in yourself.

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This article appeared in Issue 002 – the Men’s Edition