Mazen Khaddaj

How would you describe your artistic practice and your experience as an artist in Berlin?

My artistic practice is a documentation of my reality and experience as a human on this planet. It is a quest to find a deeper meaning to my existence and to give form to emotions and ventures I encounter. As a painter and a performer, it is thrilling to sometimes reflect on ideas in two different mediums.
 

Berlin has reshaped my art immensely. Partly because of the events that happened simultaneously with moving to Berlin and the city itself with its greatness. I feel at home in Berlin and accepted whether it is for my sexuality or my ethnicity. It is a melting pot of cultures where dissimilarities become the glue that binds society. As an artist in Berlin, I explore my physical and mental freedom ultimately.

In what ways does your studio / place of work influence the way you work? 
 

It is true that a studio can influence an artist's work but not sure to what extent. My studio is my safe place and where all my art materials are, yet my art is bigger than walls and floors. I feel I would make, have to make, art wherever I am. Certainly, I am grateful to have an atelier in Berlin.3.

What does it mean for you to exhibit at Blake & Vargas and how do you relate to it as an exhibition space?

Blake & Vargas project space is a very interesting space. It reflects the essence of Kreuzberg with the lovely people that run it and the street it is located at. I also Live in Kreuzberg and am very close to the gallery. It is very important for the artist and the space to trust each other and I feel the trust is mutual. 

 

Photo Credits: Mazen Khaddaj, courtesy the artist