| Lost World Found An interview with Somali Artist Aziz (Abdulasis Osman) Art & the Divine | by Dawn Vogel Demonstrating a way of life that may soon be a story of the past, the people of Somali are primarily nomadic. Learning and loving the land as a way of life, Somali people have followed the earth's rhythms and signs in search of water and home for thousands of years. Accustomed to packing up their belongings and families together at the first sign of drought, Somali tribes would check their fine-tuned instincts, look up at the clouds and follow them to water. They would then set up living quarters for anywhere from a few days to a month and move again when the water dried up. Daily life was a blend of gathering food and water, caring for the young, enjoying the trees, birds, sky, children, prayers, poems, dancing, drinking a cup of tea or camel's milk and other moments of life on a hot savannah landscape. Certainly there were human moments of conflict or challenge as one would find in any group of people, but life was good. A continually moving people, home was "where the heart was." Too soon replaced by the pain of civil war, life in refugee camps, and dislocation to a new world, many Somali men, women and children now rely upon their imaginations, oral stories and reveries to keep this way of life alive. Keeping in mind the children who have never seen their homeland, the energy it takes to adapt to a new life in a new land and that much of this history is not recorded, preserving this story is an important endeavor. Aziz (Abdulasis Osman) is a painter, sculptor, ceramist and teacher and community leader who is serving as a bridge to keep this "Lost Somalia" found. Walking into his North Minneapolis home, a colorful world of Somali landscapes, Mogadishu markets, street scenes, camels, women dancing and Italian gondolas greet you with a smile. A Somalia that I myself had not yet imagined, I found it to be healing, heartbreaking and magical. Over a cup of hot Somali tea, a couple of hours and a purring kitty on a Saturday afternoon, Aziz and his wife Fatuma transported me to a land of birds singing, mango plantations, peoples gathering together for tea, men, women and children bustling through the marketplace and poets reciting quips of heartbreak and daily life. How long have you been in the United States? Aziz: I've been here for 11 years. I also lived in Italy over 20 years. What inspires you to create the work that you do? Aziz: I've done it from my memories. As you see, it is healing. You can say I am nostalgic of our country. We miss our country. We cannot go there because of the civil war. We like it here, aside from the weather. There are good people everywhere. You have to able to choose the right place while keeping in mind where you came from. The children, who come here, they don't remember anything about Somalia. When they came here, they were 3 or 5 years old, and now they are 15 or 20. They never saw the Somalia that I use to know. Some children were 1 year old when they left and lived in a refugee camp for 7-8 years, and now they are here. Our problem is these kids. They only know this country. It's easy to forget their country and traditions. Why am I doing these paintings? Because they remind me of Somalia and support me morally and they help our kids to remember what was lost with the civil war. This paintings around me help me to keep our tradition and our way of life in my mind. It helps me to have piece of Somalia in my house. When I look one of these paintings, I see myself where I used to go when I was a kid; for me that's very important. What do you have to say about your life in Minnesota? Aziz: I like Minnesota; it's a beautiful country. I always say God Bless Minnesota. It has given us a chance to work and have a home. You also see a lot of problems, difficulties and cultural clashes. For example, in Somalia, we are all Muslim. We have to pray at work or anywhere else; here in America people do not need to observe their religion five times a day like us. It's a completely different world. It is difficult to integrate into a new society. If you don't have something to support you and help you gradually integrate, it's difficult. It's like living in two worlds, living in the world we left behind and here the world we are living in now. For me, the painting is the bridge between these two cultures. Talk about your work in the schools. Aziz: I go out to schools and do presentations with my work. When the kids see the paintings, you see from their smiles how they are happy to see the camels, the people, to see how the Somali people lived, and I can tell you that this kind of life is disappearing. From now for 50 years, they won't exist. Step by step, the civil war is taking away this kind of life. The kids were very happy. Some kids do remember Somalia. When I go to the schools for presentations, I show the kids some Somali items that I have, from our daily life, such as milk containers, incense burner (which is my creation), matt and camel bell (a tradition of the nomadic people) and ask them if they know what it is. I also give my stuff to the University of Minnesota for special days, such as Somali Day. Sometimes I have students come to me and ask to borrow things for three or four days, because they don't have anything to remember. I understand that all people in the Somali community do not accept art. Could you talk about that? Aziz: Not all Somali people like art. They say it is not good for our religion. Maybe in medieval times when people were pagans and worshipped sculptures, that time, yes, it was forbidden but not now. Art is beautiful thing. Anyone who has the kind of talent and can produce what it needs to be the best I think Allah will not punish. We should go ahead and create whatever we can, as long we are not worshipping. A piece of sculpture is not a God. It is something beautiful. That's my opinion. When I present my art to the schools, some of the Somali teachers do not come to see my art. I think they also believe that art is forbidden, but the kids like it and enjoy it, so we do the work anyway, because art is very important, especially when is connected with our culture. We talked about art as being healing? What are your thoughts? Aziz: I think art is healing for the Somali kids. It's very important for these kids to know where they come from. I've also done presentations to American kids so they know about Somalia through my painting and my life. As you can see, I am like a bridge. Art is a gift from God. Sometimes when I paint, I hear this voice that says, "Go ahead." Sometimes I stop painting, because of my personal problems, but God tells me to go ahead and paint. God gives me courage to continue what I am doing. You talked about the Somali poet Elmi Bodheri, who wrote many poems about his "lost love." It seems to me a striking parallel and closing to our conversation. Aziz: Yes, Somali are very strong on oral poetry and this one is one of my favorites. At times I made light of it and I was free, Then suddenly I was shown her in a vision. She was the color of a lighted lantern. She must have become imprinted on my heart, For how else could I be so intoxicated by her? Inside my breast she tick-tocks to me like a watch. At night when I fall asleep she comes to sport with me, But at early dawn she leaves me and turns into a rising pillar of dust. Aziz can be reached at (763) 571-5202 for viewing his work and for setting up presentations. Dawn Vogel is a documentary, portrait and fine art photographer, writer, educator and owner of Luminous Concepts Photography. She specializes in creating words and images that reflect and celebrate the personalities, stories, and moments of day-to-day life; increase awareness, respect and understanding of the world and its' people; heal and build community; empower self and creative expression. To celebrate yourself and your family in pictures, contact her at (612) 724-3810 or DawnV@mindspring.com. Copyright © 2003 Dawn Vogel |
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