Rana Hemdan
About The Artist
My name is Rana Hemdan. I’m a 26 year old Egyptian architect, self-taught contemporary artist, graphic designer, illustrator, book and album covers designer, sculpture and a 4 time TEDx speaker. I graduated from the Faculty of Engineering Alexandria University in 2021, majoring in architecture and construction.
I participated in 13 Exhibitions, managed to sell over 170 artworks all over the world, gave several art workshops and was featured alongside my artworks in several local and international newspapers, magazines and tv interviews during the past few years.
Question
How did you get started with creating art?
I started drawing when I was 5. I think I always knew that I was meant to create. I remember my mom pushing me to go outside and play with my sister and the other kids and I’d always prefer to sit alone and colour with crayons.
Even when watching animated cartoons, my most prominent thought was “these drawings are so cool, and they can move!” It was and still is my one true calling.
Question
How would you describe your artistic style? Has it changed?
I started to really develop my artistic style when I enrolled in architecture school in 2015. I started drawing objects in a 3D form and with straight lines. I came to learn later on that this style of drawing is called cubism and is in fact very common for architects to be drawn to. Studying architecture changes your perspective on how you perceive and see things.
Winston Churchill said “we shape our buildings, therefore our buildings shape us.” Over time, I wanted to add more emotion to my paintings which added a little bit of expressionism to my work. And later, I wanted to introduce more colour alongside these emotions, which began my contemporary art phase and that’s where I’m at right now. Let’s see where we go from here.
Question
Where do you usually find inspiration for your works?
I usually get inspired by mundane and daily encounters, things I feel on a daily basis, things I notice in my surroundings, emotions I feel towards my family members, friends and most importantly myself. I feel like art takes its truest form when it is coming from a place you’re truly familiar with, and things you actually know, rather than seeking inspiration from things that you haven’t really been through. Who do I truly know more than myself? A person I’ve been around for 26 years. A complex person, yes, but one that I know very well.
Question
What do you hope your audience will get from your work?
My goal is to always create artworks that form an emotional connection with the audience. To, if possible, whisper to the person standing in front of the work; “I too am a human and I’m carrying around all of these emotions as well. It’s okay, I see you.”