GAZA-ARTIST Gazan artist uses cosmetics to paint

Record ID: 143050

  • Title: GAZA-ARTIST Gazan artist uses cosmetics to paint
  • Date: 20th August 2015
  • Summary: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (AUGUST 19, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GAZAN ARTIST, KHOLOUD ALDISOKI, AT HER HOUSE PAINTING VARIOUS OF ALDISOKI'S HANDS / DRAWINGS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GAZAN ARTIST, KHOLOUD ALDISOKI, SAYING: "After I graduated from university, I found out that makeup is very similar to chalk pastel in its shape and texture. I found various colours in makeup that I can u
  • Embargoed: 4th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Gaza
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9WV2M946VPD3LZH0NVK4KMHQC
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Gazan artist Kholoud Aldisoki has found a novel use for cosmetics - she uses them to draw and paint.
    The 23-year-old has turned her colourful collection of makeup into paint materials to create her artwork.
    A resident of Khan Younis, Aldisoki came up with the creative idea after she completed a degree in art education at Al-Aqsa University last year.
    "After I graduated from university, I found out that makeup is very similar to chalk pastel in its shape and texture. I found various colours in makeup that I can use instead of the expensive paint that I have to buy and is not available sometimes," Aldisoki told Reuters.
    Four years ago, Aldisoki would only use black eyeliners and other makeup products and combine them with real paint to complete her work.
    But after her little discovery, Aldisoki started to draw all her paintings using only makeup.
    She says her new method makes a huge difference, is easier to work with, portable and causes less mess.
    "Art has no limits and it's full of creativity. As a Palestinian artist, I have to create something out of nothing like makeup tools. It's not very important, it's just used for beautifying women and is very obtainable and cheap, unlike water paintings or acrylic or oil colours. If I wanted to paint with oil colours, one painting might cost me 50-60 Shekels ($17) but a painting painted with makeup might cost me 20 Shekels ($5), so there's a huge difference," she added.
    Kholoud says she doesn't receive any funds to support her work.
    She relies on social media and word of mouth to market and sell her work.
    Her father, Mohamed, and her sister say they also like to paint but have not developed their skills as much as Kholoud has.
    Speaking about his daughter's work, Mohamed said he hopes to see improvement in the way his society perceives fine arts.
    "The philosophy of society looks at art education at our schools as if it's useless and is considered a supplementary class or a class where the teacher can rest from teaching or is given to teachers who have long classes in the schedule. Therefore, the taste for art is marginalised from an early age for the young generation. Also, it continues in high school. So, any artist who succeeds, that's a testimony that he's talented, but studying art is nominal and the amount of information on it in school doesn't exceed couple of pages. The art education and art appreciation is non-existent in our society," he said.
    Gaza, a small impoverished coastal enclave, is under blockade by neighbouring Israel.
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