About patterns and cuts; Alisha Hannan’s mind-blowing handcrafts
“I believe we learn a lot from practice and dedication”
Practice and dedication, or as it would also be worth alternating in the equation, practice and constancy.
This is the ideal vision that tends to predominate in the creative collective, because although the process of creation may seem extremely individual, own, unique (and in a certain way it’s so), the need to express what we see through an artistic technique is shared by all of us.
Artists and amateurs, new talents, gallery owners, collectors, consumers, we are all part of a circle or a bubble that grows around a single intention: to stand out for something.
As Alisha Hannan, digital illustrator and master of manual cutting (although she denies it with some sweetness) details, “there is nothing that one cannot do. If you think you can do something, give it a try. There are many self-taught artists… One gets to learn a lot from each other.”
She tells, obviously, from a very personal point of view; but also from the reason that gives her the experience.
Alisha was born in the capital city of Malé (1982) and from her most distant memories she claims to have always been a curious and active child in anything. Daughter of Maldivian singer-songwriter Abdul Hannan Moosa Didi, she spent much of her life torn between the natural rebellion that comes with being in a family that uses its right hemisphere to live, and the common pressures that push a person to seek rectitude and knowledge to ensure a good future.
But I don't want this to be misunderstood, because actually, Alisha was raised with values of honesty, effort and a lot of study, things that she still keeps today as pillars to carry out any project in life.
Study + Practice + Dedication (or constancy) = Voilà! The formula sounds better now.
This has a certain origin to guide her through an ideal path for her art. Alisha specializes in papercutting, with a minimalist but extremely precise technique for making mind-blowing handcraft pieces and designs on different types of paper and cardboard.
It’s important to clarify that this type of work is not very common in her homeland, so they easily highlight and catch any viewer who takes an extra second to appreciate the level of detail and patience that requires one of these pieces.
So, I think living surrounded by designers, serigraphy and graphic constructions for advertising, gave her a tremendous boost and fueled her creativity like forever. She led this to school, where she was very participative in any class that didn't demand to be especially extroverted. But she made up for it.
Reflecting marine life or nature through complex patterns, entangled but piece by piece having a purpose, is what distinguishes Alisha's work. This is possibly a reflection of how organized one can be in the midst of chaos. The chaos of everyday life, the pressures of former times and now with social networks, the exposure we face when we tell something that floods us.
Alisha’s first display was solo exhibition organized by MAC & LeCute Maldives in July 2018
Even though Alisha is grateful for every opportunity she has had, from displaying her work in prestigious resort boutiques to participating in the annual group exhibition organized by the Maldivian Artist Community (MAC) called "Unveiling Visions," which featured the visit of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih himself and his wife, Alisha recognizes that it has been a challenge to have visibility in her community.
Almost Here, piece exhibited at the Maldives National Art Gallery for Unveiling Visions 2019
To even be able to live from what she loves, specifically in her field, is not at all easy despite the fact that in these times the diffusion factor is very favorable thanks to social networks and new ways of communication.
“To be honest, social media puts a lot of pressure on artists of any field. I'm not very updated as I normally work in my spare time and on demand or request. And I guess it puts me off from the picture and nowadays everyone needs to be reminded constantly about one's work. It has been a bit of a struggle for me to keep up.”
— Alisha Hannan on the challenges of her professional life
But for a stay at home mother who owes her current position to the tireless support of her family, her friends and the criticisms of her little girl, always in search of portraying herself at the roots of the visually attractive, pleasant, that can be considered aesthetically beautiful from a perspective in detail or as a whole... it’s precisely these moments of self-learning and hard study that have forged the path.
This is where I wanted to get to. Right here. The moment where she reveals to us how she started to throw cuts and design (without being too graceful for drawing).
Alisha comments that everything began by looking at her uncles' work; printed t-shirts, sign boards, banners for many events and venues, aroused curiosity for templates, stencils, patterns and colors.
“I'm always into making something. I used to make a lot of handmade greeting cards, t-shirts, doodling, different stationery like tiny illustrated books, book covers in the year 2000 onwards. It somehow stopped when I moved to Sri Lanka in the year 2006, when I started studying, but I was into a little bit of photography and digital drawing. I completed my undergraduate degree in Sri Lanka, and moved to Malaysia for postgraduate studies in Tourism and Hospitality Management.”
— Alisha on the process of discovering what she loves
In itself, the process of creation begins with a digital design of the template, illustration or pattern, then the template is traced to tracing paper to transfer it to the cutting cardboard, with the help of the same cutting knife or scalpel. This is the first alternative, but it’s also possible to use the template above and make cuts directly to the paper, which requires more pressure.
As for the paper used, the thickness varies between 180gsm and 210gsm. Gsm literally means “Grams per Square Meter,” so it’s a unit to measure the quality and thickness of a type of paper or support. The higher is the number, the thicker or heavier the paper.
Tuna Rosette, representation of Islamic geometry and the Maldivian ocean
On the other hand, the mechanism that moves this paper cutting artist is to portray something that is beauty appealing, in turn that can feel like an escape valve, but that also excites the interest of others.
Of course, finding this balance between passion-functionality-approval requires a lot of practice. Besides the studies (always necessary), it is the practice and the references that generate great advances in a green artist. Green but waiting to mature.
The list of creators that Miss Hannan admires is long. Seriously, she even shared them with their Instagram profiles. We can point out Afu Shaafiu and Ahmed Amir, graceful designers and illustrators, who are colleagues of Alisha. She had watched their work closely and admired their dedication. She is always inspired by their ability to effortlessly create masterpieces.
On this, she explained a little more in depth:
“Art is peace. It makes one happier, calmer and better. If you are interested in the field and want to excel, visiting exhibitions, workshops or anything related to art can be of great help. I think networking and knowing about other artists is equally important.”
Perhaps the most relevant message that she can convey to all those who continue trying, or even those who have already made it, but never hurts to do self-criticism (if possible, to be criticized by others) to understand where we are going.
As I mentioned before, Alisha is counting on her (not so) little girl, Intho and boy, Eilshan; her family, close friends and also professional mates.
The bid to take inspiration, wherever it comes from and in any form, is following the formula that we have repeated before. Going out of the comfort zone, practicing, self-realization, talent together with skills will always predominate over the factors against.
Even if you don't have this approach, if you head up that stereotype of a bohemian, romantic, lonely artist with millions of problems and about to go bankrupt... There's your impulse!
The example of the handmade paper-cut expert Alisha doesn’t reduce the spectrum of possibilities for others, as each person has his own story and experiences in this life, which will guide you to different places.
Or maybe to the same place where we all converge, but only in different ways.
Contact Alisha Hannan through her Instagram profile or Facebook page:
Note: All images in this article were taken directly from Alisha's Instagram.