Interview with Ayman Kaake for 2021 ILFORD CCP Salon
Photography by Ayman Kaake
Ayman Kaake is a Lebanese born artist who left Lebanon as a telecommunications engineer graduate in 2011 and travelled to Australia in pursuit of an artistic journey. Ayman was the 2019 winner of RMIT excellence in staged photography and recently won the Brunswick Street Gallery 2022 Small Works Art Prize for 'Lullaby'.
Maine (2021)
What's your name and background?
Ayman Kaake: My name is Ayman Kaake, I am a Lebanese born artist currently based in Naarm / Melbourne.
Is this the first time you have participated in Salon, and what is the story behind your submitted works?
AK: This is my third year entering the CCP Salon, I have submitted three works in three different mediums; video, 4x5 analogue photograph and embroidery on print, and they are all from the same series “99 names of God” that open a conversation about the Hypocrisy in the new world.
What inspires you to take photos?
AK: My head is full of ideas and photography helped me to let most of it out.
Untitled
How do you prefer to shoot and using what genre of instrument?
AK: I’m from the digital generation so DSLR was my first instrument especially when I started creating composite self-portraits. But lockdown was a turning point for me and I challenged myself to learn analogue photography from 35mm, medium and large format and I fell in love with the quality and the organic feel of it.
Has your use of social media changed or influenced the way that you create, share and view your work?
AK: Social media is the best thing that ever happened, especially during lockdown when physical art was on hold due to restrictions. Social media became the marketing tool to expose our art and ourselves as artists to the outside world. I treat my Instagram as a gallery wall where I can curate my own show and show it to a public audience from all over the world and connect with them. Social media is a blessing and it gives you the energy to keep going and create more work.
Lockdown not Lockup (2020)
Which is stronger to you the influence of people or the influence of place?
AK: My work is based on the connection between people and their own place so in my opinion, they both equally have strong impact.
If you could quiz one photographer about their method, who would it be?
AK: I’m very influenced by female photographers in general, something about their work feels humble, bold and rebellious, however, the first photographer who comes to my mind is Morganna Magee, she is based in Melbourne and she uses full format photography perfectly (technical/concept) which I’m very interested in at the moment as I’m trying to learn more about for my new upcoming exhibition.
For more of Ayman's work visit www.aymankaake.com where you can find prints, zines and books for sale or follow Ayman on Instagram @aymankaake.
As the winner of the Brunswick Street Gallery 2022 Small Works Arts Prize, Ayman has an upcoming solo exhibition at the Brunswick Street Gallery.
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