Issa Al-Yousifi ... A Model of Strong Will in the Face of Constraints
Issa al-Yousifi, a former Kuwait Oil Company employee, does not take art as a profession. He admits that he did not have any previous artistic qualities to qualify him for this field. What happened is that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's paralysis after retirement from the oil sector. He served as a team leader in Information Technology in KOC and then moved to the Oil Sector Services Company (OSCO) where he became the Director of Information Technology therein. In this interview, for "Al-Kuwaiti" magazine, Issa talks about his unique artistic experience in digital designs and its prospects and features.
Issa has some computing skills, which is his originally his domain. Thus, he resorted to computer to spend his tremendous leisure time making digital designs. He began drawing with the aid of chis computer, to find out that hid designs contain glimpses of a promising talent to deal with this kind of art. His family and friends encouraged him, but he realized that he himself is the greater supporter of his work. His new world has filled his life especially that his illness prevented him from practicing sports he used to practice in the past, like football jogging and the likes. He found condolence in his computer generated designs. Computer and imagination were his only tools. His doctor encouraged him saying that by developing his artistic skills Issa will compensate what he had lost because of his illness.
So far, Issa had produced more than 300 designs although he began less than a year ago. He says that he is not considering utilizing them commercially.
KOC Experience
Issa admits that he owes KOC much because it enabled him to reach a high level of professionalism. Thus, he thought that he is definitely obliged to give back to the Company. For that, he presented one of his digital images to the CEO to be hanged in his office. He remember that it impressed many of his previous colleagues. He grabbed the opportunity to display his designs in Ahmad Al-Jaber Oil & Gas Exhibition.
Issa acknowledges that he does not practice painting by his hand, although he can do it. However, the availability of computer and software dedicated to this type of digital designs frees him from using his hand because of the special nature of his illness. He says that his designs look like a city of similar duplicate houses. At the end of the day, they constitute a single unit containing a group within a group, resulting in a complete story. Issa tried to combine between Islamic decorations and his special mixture of lines that highlight his own perspective. Nevertheless, he suggests that what he offers can eventually fall under the guise of decorations.
In response to a question pointing to him being influenced by the Persian art of miniatures, Issa replies by saying that he is more influenced by the Indian art of Mandala, adding that he is also influenced by all Eastern arts. At the beginning, Persian carpets were a source of inspiration for him, as he owns a precious collection. He started to learn Arabic calligraphy, which can be traced in many of his digital designs.
Issa expresses his gratitude for KOC because it gave him the opportunity to display his designs. He say that displaying his works at Ahmad Al-Jaber Oil & Gas Exhibition in a milestone in his career, where he aspires to reach out to a wider audience. So far, Issa did not sell any of his designs, but he hopes that a public or private authority asks him to decorate their lobby.
KOC's School
During his days at KOC, Issa managed to draw his professional profile, and learn many concepts that one needs in his real life, like the concept of management. Training courses enabled him to deal with the most difficult situations in his daily life, which was reflected in his private life. Moreover, he says that KOC is a big school where employees learn a lot, which he saw for himself when he moved to Oil Sector Services Company, OSCO. That day it became quite apparent for Issa that KOC is distinguished and privileged in everything.
Children & the Holistic Perspective
Issa aspires to deliver a message that encourages people to invest their time in what benefits others and the society in which they live. He stresses that illness should not be an obstacle in the way of man's ambitions. He realized that through people's comments on his works. He wishes that one day he would have the opportunity to train children, in the basement of his house, to produce designs that reflect their talents. Issa recalls that he had trained a group of 10-12 years old children from various social backgrounds while working in KOC. He noticed that they have a holistic view to things and enjoy a remarkably sharp and intuitive observation.
Issa has an advice for those who want to practice his art, saying that the final product, at the end of the day, determines whether a person should continue or not. As for the art of digital design, he says that the best aspect of it is the possibility of experimentation and repetition without the need to sabotage something, or even lose it because the artist deals with the computer.