VCA graduating artist Naimo Omar is using art as a vehicle for change
Meet Naimo Omar, a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art) student in the Drawing and Printmaking department. Naimo’s work, deeply influenced by her Muslim and Somali heritage, challenges the boundaries of public and private spaces, and addresses the experiences of marginalised communities. We sat down with Naimo as she prepares to unveil a new video installation at the 2023 VCA Art Grad Show.
Hi Naimo, could you start by introducing yourself and your work in the VCA Art Grad Show?
Hello, I'm Naimo, and I'm completing a Bachelor of Fine Art (Visual Art) at the VCA. My contribution to the Art Grad Show is a video installation titled ‘Warning to Special driver of Special train’. This project explores the intersections between private and public spaces and is interrogated by a minority body.
The installation explores the infrastructure and façade of site-specific train stations, particularly Werribee and Hoppers Crossing stations. Through the work, I examine the shifting functions of public transport spaces through the lens of accessibility and the experiences of fat, Muslim, black, and immigrant bodies.
Your work is deeply connected to your family and community. Can you tell us more about how these connections inspire your practice?
My work is deeply rooted in the experiences of my family and the local Muslim and Somali communities I belong to. They are huge inspirations for me, both through the objects and shared experiences we've had and the insights I've gained as an individual within these family and community settings. My artistic practice is profoundly connected to these aspects of my life.
You’re also interested in writing and poetry. How does this interest inform your practice?
I also draw inspiration from the works of other artists and writers. These include Kameelah Janan Rasheed, with her deep critical interest in 'hypertext' and the internet, Ashwini Bhat and her kinetic mode of sculpture, Warsan Shire and her incredibly, densely personal poetry, and Fred Moten and Édouard Glissant, whose critical engagement with institutional change and black liberation studies has played a germinal role in my political and social interests.
Do you have any special plans after graduating?
I plan to write as much as possible – especially creative prose and poetry. I also want to build a career and livelihood as an artist. I am really interested in working with my local arts community in Werribee and the western suburbs.
Why is art important in today’s world?
Art is important because it plays a crucial role in enabling an accessible means to express social unrest, shifts, and calls for change. We operate in a highly disparate world that demands the need for change and action across every continent. Art, encompassing various forms of expression like text, writing, film, and oration, continues to be a successful vehicle to enact that change and action. It bridges gaps of opacity or ignorance that other methods of social action or justice don’t facilitate, especially when engaged communally or built around a collective of artists and like-minded peoples. Art allows a viewer to reckon with the responsibility of choice because of its subjectivity and open format. This sets it apart from other easily accessible media, such as various news outlets and social media platforms, which often provide limited room for imagination or contemplation.
You can view Naimo's work at the 2023 VCA Art Grad Show on display from 23–30 November at the University of Melbourne Southbank campus. Open between 11am–5pm daily. Plan your visit.
Discover the Bachelor of Fine Art (Visual Art) at the University of Melbourne