RIDIKKULUZ – “Overthinking Arab With A Paintbrush”
Jordanian fine artist RIDIKKULUZ on art, ballroom and identity.
RIDIKKULUZ is a New York-based, Jordanian fine artist working in painting, sculpture and video. His work encompasses identity, duality and intense emotion all while bridging the gap between Western and Arab culture. Using a surrealistic context infused with an urban influence, his provocative portraiture projects the vulnerability of the artist’s insecurities. Through his artistry, he inverts the systemic equation of counterfeit-confidence and privilege amounting to success with transparent diligence and the beauty of weakness.
Interview by Mike Milan | Photography @artieology
For people who may not be art savvy, how would you describe your work?
My work encompasses identity, duality and intense emotion all while bridging the gap between Western and Arab culture. In other words, I’m just trying to do the damn thing lol.
What mediums do you use to create your art? Do you have a preference?
I am a multidisciplinary artist that works in painting, sculpture and video. My favorite is figurative portraiture, the euro-colonizer art form. I like that I, a queer arab gets to build a safe space of acceptance where the complex cultural symbolism of my figures can be seen in the same light of work that appeals to the upper echelon of society.
What inspires you to create your works?
Past experiences, dissecting my soul, conversations that are swept under the rug but are begging to see the light of day.
You’re listed in your IG as “Overthinking Arab,” how does your identity as a gay Arab man play into what you create?
It’s something that consumes me and in turn causes me to overthink. The journey to the “self” whilst simultaneously going against the grain has led me to take what I am, dissect it and study it. Being apart of so many subcultures and communities can be an exhausting blessing lol. Once you realize that these boxes don’t actually exist is when you’re able to coexist with all your identities. When I apply this concept to painting it shows me that I am very unique and not as generalized as these “labels” make me out to be. For an example, a lot of my self-portraits feature an exaggerated rugged nose with a hump accompanied by dramatic, pretty eyelashes creating harmony between masculinity and femininity. In other words.. I can be both.
You recently had a showing of your work that included beautifully painted selfies. What is the story behind that?
I tried creating provocative portraiture that projects the vulnerability of my insecurities. Regardless of sexual identity, race, gender, etc, something that plays consistent in every subculture is the idea of the powerful and the weak. The one that wins in this life is always the one that is certain of themselves even if they aren’t. The truth is no one knows what they’re doing. In this series, I wanted to pay homage to the transparent weakling, the person who is uncertain and afraid to walk into a room with their head high.
Where can we see your work?
RIDIKKULUZ.com or Instagram @ridikkuluz or come make a studio visit:)
How did you discover ballroom?
For me, I found out about vogueing before ballroom. In high school, I was in a dance crew and my mentor, Najee, would teach us some tutting choreo and then we would somehow find our way into vogueing lmao. I was 14 at the time, so I remember having practice on Monday with him telling us stories about the ball that he went to over the weekend or his night at Escuelita and we would all gag. Next thing you know I saw Vogue Evolution on America’s best dance crew and I was like damn, this is bigger than Najee and the crew just having fun. I was like wait I have to delve deeper and then I watched Paris is Burning (cliche lol) and that showed me that ballroom was so much more than dance. Mind you, I’ve been watching the same Willy Ninja videos since high school lol.
Has ballroom made any impact on your work or personal life?
A huge impact. Its intensified people’s persona’s in my mind. The guy walking down wall street is much more dramatic than ever before, especially if you have your headphones in. It’s also taught me about perception versus reality. In real life, people are definitely paying attention to “the look” and these categories are definitely real and there are parallels that are being drawn to societal hierarchy. In terms of vogueing, it makes me feel most confident. Like Finally!! the person that used to get told they’re “doing too much” in school can finally get praise for being expressive.
What’s your favorite category to watch and why?
I love realness with a twist. I like the idea that you’re teasing the crowd with a heteronormative construct and then the element of surprise comes into play. The hips start moving, the gender lines start blurring and then you’re left jaw dropped once the body elegantly collapses on the floor.
