We created the Creativity Everything Connection Fellowships program to support brilliant creators in the Toronto area. There are currently seven Fellows and we are highlighting them one-by-one in these profiles.
Habiba El-Sayed is a ceramic artist inspired by Islamic architecture and human vulnerability. She follows a multidisciplinary approach to her artwork by using a variety of materials, performances, and techniques to illustrate her concepts. Over the last few years, Habiba has begun to explore themes of cultural disconnection and perception through the integration of clay with soundscapes, projection, and digital collage. Her work focuses on connecting to, exploring, and interpreting aspects of her identity, particularly as a Muslim woman living in a post-9/11 world.
Habiba’s goal is to learn and experiment with VR and AR technologies before applying for graduate school in the near future, where she plans to delve further into integrating new technologies with ceramics. These technologies provide a new outlet for her to create performance art experiences that can be viewed from anywhere. She also believes VR and AR are integral tools in illustrating perceptions of real, unreal, and hyper-real identities, environments, and futurisms.
Aside from her 8+ years of expertise in sculpting and pottery as a ceramic artist, Habiba brings her experiences as a Muslim woman of colour. She believes in celebrating our differences as much as our similarities because sharing diverse perspectives enriches both our work as artists and who we are as people. Habiba is excited to share her knowledge and offer support to the Connection Fellowship community.