Artist Spotlight: Meer Mahmoud

The Community Cultural Hubs from an Artist's perspective

This winter, ArtHubs was awarded the opportunity to partner with ArtworksTO for their Newcomer program. ArtWorksTO is a workforce development initiative that provides participants with credentialed education, industry mentorship, and paid work opportunities to develop practical skills and build professional networks in the media arts industry.

We were lucky enough to be paired with the talented photographer and musician Meer Mahmoud. Meer worked with the ArtHubs team across Youngplace, Gibraltar Point, Daniels Spectrum and Wychwood Barnsto capture the nature of the hubs, community programs and the everyday users of our spaces. His photographs highlighted the diverse and energized nature of what we do.

We asked Meer to share about himself and his experience working across the ArtHubs Community Cultural Hubs.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you first became interested in photography?

My background is in music; I studied guitar performance and music education. When COVID first hit, my music career was put on hold, so I picked up my camera just to fill the void. With each photo I captured, I saw my journey going in this direction, where I am now a photographer. 

How would you describe your photographic style or approach? 

My artistic work is deeply influenced by Minimalism. However, that does not always translate to my commercial work, where I try to focus on showing the true essence of my characters and their interaction with the space. 

What kinds of stories do you most enjoy capturing through your work? 

I love telling the stories of individuals, focusing on a single musician in the orchestra, or a person experiencing the music from the audience and all the emotions in that moment. I love making a body of work that documents the build-up from the backstage leading up to that glamorous moment. 

As a newcomer artist, what has this opportunity meant for your creative practice and professional development? 

This opportunity has allowed me to test my creativity and fast reflexes, and to connect with people in the arts scene. It gave me the chance to learn and execute projects that I have not done before, expanding both my experience and understanding of the craft, and my professional portfolio. 

Each hub has its own character. Did any spaces or moments stand out to you while shooting? 

The space that I connected with the most was Wychwood Barns, I loved the very high ceiling and the distribution of natural light. It created a warm and alive atmosphere that made capturing photos more fluid and authentic. 

What do you think makes arts spaces like these important for artists and communities? 

Beyond everything, we make art to connect and convey emotions and ideas. This complexity of our communication is what makes us human, and creating spaces for communities to gather and share art is essential. 

Was there a particular moment or image from the project that felt especially meaningful to you? 

My favourite part about this project was when a little girl was curious about the camera and I let her capture a photo, or when I was approached by a little boy asking me to take his picture, and then his mom telling me that he never let anyone take his picture. It felt special.

How has this project influenced your work moving forward?

This project has helped me build the connection, experience, and portfolio needed to expand my work within the arts and cultural sector. 

We thank Meer for his creativity, time and dedication to highlighting the people and places at ArtHubs!

Want to learn more about Meer and his work?
Follow him on Instagram and check out his website.