"It makes me ecstatic to know that something that I was so passionate about creating evoked such an emotion in someone that they felt they needed to purchase and have it for themselves, " she says.
Artist Eman Fouad could be seen selling her work at the 13th annual Egyptian Festival in Journal Square just a few weeks ago. The Egyptian-American artist’s work builds on her cultural heritage, in addition to her fascination with nature and a fondness for the works of Edgar Allen Poe – at least two of which Fouad has condensed into designs for some cool pins.
Fouad’s biggest influence, however, is her late father. “I remember he took my sister and me to the art store, Pearl, and I wanted to create art pieces just the way that he had,” says Fouad. “He passed away when I was 15 and I found that immersing myself into creating art was the best way I could express myself and it made me feel connected to him in a way.”
Eman Fouad art Fouad says her fiance’ influenced her by understanding and supporting her passion. “… He encouraged me to put my art out there for everyone to see.” And she’s fortunate to have a mother who is incredibly supportive and her biggest fan. “I often discuss art and bounce my ideas off of her.”
As someone with a deep love of nature, Fouad doesn’t just do paintings of outdoor scenery. “… (Nature) is so mesmerizing to me that I want to create the same feelings in my pieces.”
Fouad’s fondness for Poe is on display in the series she did for “Inktober,” a month-long challenge in which artists create an ink drawing for each day of October. Poe’s macabre storytelling stuck with her; it made for a theme that she wouldn’t get bored with and would evoke an emotion in the viewer, says Fouad.
As she read Poe’s pieces, Fouad says “… I immediately would picture the piece based on the stories and I really enjoyed working on each one.”
Ever since she visited the pyramids as a child, Fouad says she’s been awestruck by them. “I decided I would look into and learn anything I could about that time period and it sparked an interest and desire to create an illustration series based on Ancient Egypt, which I am still working on,” she says. “The mosaic designs, or mandalas, that I’ve been creating are possibly my favorite pieces. They take the most time and effort but I get the most satisfaction when they are finally completed. I revel in creating pieces with intricate detail that I can sit and focus on for hours and try my best to perfect them.”
Fouad presently works full time as an interior designer, but she would love to be able to create art full time as a career, she says. This is why she has “aspiring artist” in the bio on her website www.emanfouad.com. “It isn’t easy to keep up with all of the pieces I want to create, especially ones that need more time. Every step takes plenty of time and effort and I’d like to one day get to a place where I’m creating art every single day. It’s something I strive to be better at keeping up with.”
Inspired to take part in fairs and markets by the Pancake & Booze art show, Fouad – a lifelong Jersey City resident – has found that selling her art “to people in person is an amazing and humbling experience.”
“It makes me ecstatic to know that something that I was so passionate about creating evoked such an emotion in someone that they felt they needed to purchase and have it for themselves, ” she says, noting there’s only been one challenge for her.
“Selling at fairs and markets is a good way to get a sense of what sells and what people are interested in. It often gets challenging when you let that navigate what you will be creating next because everyone has different interests and not everyone will love every piece you create. I try to create pieces that I am passionate about and I try to stay authentic to myself. I’ve enjoyed creating those pieces and was happier with the final result than with pieces that were created based solely on what I thought people would be interested in buying.”
Fouad is uniquely suited to give a bit of feedback on the Marvel Comics series “Miss Marvel.” “I’m slightly familiar with Miss Marvel, I’ve read a few of the comics but I haven’t had the chance to read them all,” she says. “It’s funny, I can actually relate to the character. As a Muslim woman that has spent all her life in Jersey City and wearing the hijab, I find that the comic definitely reflects some of my own experiences. I am familiar with the areas that are in the comic and I also attended McNair Academic on Coles street, so I thought that was a great touch as well.”
The All About Downtown Street Fair is coming up in September, and Fouad will be one of many interesting artists selling their work there.
Fouad will be adding more original pieces to her website and hopes to explore new mediums in the future, including creating murals.