See No Evil: Kelly Dabbah On Dreams, Digital Influences and Daddy’s Issues

The art world’s rising queen of kitsch talks maximalist tendencies; her larger-than-life exhibition at Miami’s Art Basel; and how her Middle Eastern roots continue to play muse to her creative endeavours

Kelly Dabbah wants to know more about dreams. The multimedia artist reveals that she’s taking initiative to gain knowledge of the inner workings of the conscious and the subconscious; she’s reading Sigmund Freud’s work about how our brains project certain influences and emotions upon us, toying with our psyche.

“When I go to bed, I feel like I enter into this other dimension,” she reveals. “There’s a lot of research about it, but nobody really knows what dreaming is… each time I dream about something I write it down and try to find an interpretation, but it’s a very mysterious subject.”

Unabashedly maximalist, the artist is known for her tendencies to incorporate elements of nostalgia, irony, and kitsch into her works, “I daydream in maximalism,” she admits. No surprises there. For those familiar with her work – kaleidoscopic motifs, eclectic prints and collage creations that exist both in the physical world and digital realms – her penchant for kitsch is evident.

Having just wrapped an exhibition at Art Basel in Miami – Daddy’s Issues was on display at SCOPE Art Show and was selected by Art Innovation Gallery to be shown digitally as an NFT on the largest mobile platform in town, floating on the water – the 31-year-old artist of Egyptian, Moroccan and Israeli roots has big plans for the upcoming year. Here she discusses looking inward for inspiration, the influence of social media and what to expect in 2023…

From Parson’s School of Design to studying business management in Lausanne – via gemology – how has your academic background affected your outlook as an artist and, ultimately, how you create art?

Everything that I’ve done is valuable now in my life, but at the time I felt like I wasn’t really allowed to study art – so I went for the business side. I think a lot of artists struggle with the management side, which is as important as the creative side. Gemology taught me how to be precise about measurements, colour grading… the identification of stones itself is a procedure that is so precise. I think you need to be very detail oriented. I’m a perfectionist in what I create. Everything that I’ve done has taught me so much in the end.

You work with a variety of mediums. Is there a particular one that you feel best allows you to express your message?

The mirrors are so interesting because I feel very comfortable creating them. There’s also an element of surprise, because it always gives a different result; mirrors act differently with the light, projection and reflection, and the placement of the reflective part versus the collage parts. But each medium brings something different – like clothing is going to bring such a different feel than a projection on a billboard, you know?

Does social media influence your work in any way?

I get inspired a lot from social media, which is kind of negative and positive, because the positive side I would say, whatever I see – interior design, fashion styles, collaboration, paintings or drawings, I always save on the app. I think it’s a very inspiring place, but it’s also such a place where we feel very insecure. We compare ourselves and, as women, it’s interesting how things evolve because we’re trying to look like a certain type of beauty standard. It’s both ways. It’s inspiration, but it’s also a bit of a dangerous place.

Daddy’s Issues was recently presented at SCOPE Art Show during Art Basel Miami Beach – and was also exhibited by Art Innovation Gallery as an NFT on the largest mobile platform in town. tell us more about the exhibition, and how did it feel to see your work floating on the water?

It was a much more personal piece… It’s about the relationship between your heart and your mind, what you’re supposed to do versus what you really want to do. I feel like anyone can relate to this type of dynamic. It’s called Daddy’s Issues, but represents what you really want to do versus what you’re supposed to do. With my collages, the process is always kind of the same, but the way I place it on the mirror is different. A digital medium like a billboard is just so insane; the first time was in Times Square. It was big but this time on the water… it’s always super different. I think the scale of it makes it even more interesting and surprising.

Your father is Egyptian and your mother is Israeli-Moroccan. How have your Middle Eastern roots influenced your work?

My whole life I’ve been surrounded by interior design that was full of prints and patterns. When I studied at Parsons, New York, I went there initially to become a fashion designer and I learned how to design on digital software, to incorporate my art and create prints. Unconsciously, I’m always creating prints, which is really Middle Eastern in a way, but inspired by maximalism and kitsch. I always carry an evil eye with me; it’s in the Greek culture, Middle Eastern culture, and I think it’s always something that protects you – but also your reflection and how you see yourself. I like to use it like in my work with the mirror, because it’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning: you can either judge yourself or love yourself. The eye is for protection, but also represents how you see yourself, your reflection.

You’re very open about the fact that your mother and three sisters are your muses. What’s the greatest lessons you’ve learned from them?

I’ve learned that women are crazy! Women are very strong and very sensitive and, I think, growing up with sisters I was inspired a lot by women’s beauty – but also by insecurities and sensitivities… the duality within women. We’re always trying to protect ourselves, while also being smart and beautiful at the same time. Being surrounded by women is interesting, but it’s also overwhelming.

My sisters and I, our lives are so different but we’re the same in the way. There’s things that they went through that I’ve not been through yet. So they’re a constant inspiration. I have two older sisters and one younger one, so I’m in the middle. They’re all creative in their own way. One is a jewellery designer, the other one used to be a dancer and the littlest one, she works in events. The creativity is different.

How selective are you with the collaborations you agree to take on? What goes into deciding who you do – and don’t – work with?

I like to work with brands have the same vision and align with the same morals, ideals and values. I’d rather focus on quality than quantity, so if I said yes to so many things at the same time, I’m not going to get the same quality. You know, when you’re going to work super well with someone, you feel like things align just at the right time. It’s more of a gut feeling.

What’s in store for 2023? Can you share any insight into your next show or any upcoming projects?

I’m working with the Art Innovation Gallery who I worked with in Miami. The next show is going to be in March, on a billboard in Hong Kong. I’m going to launch my collaboration with a bathing suit company, Cami and Jax. It’s owned by two sisters and one of them was a professional surfer. They’re based in Malibu, and I’ve been commissioned to work on their prints and to create surf suits. The content is going to be created in Hawaii, so I’m very excited to see what it’s going to look like. I’m also going to create a bass guitar with a print for Sadowsky guitars, a local New York brand, and will be showing my art next year again at Art Basel.

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