The Creative Giants Issue

Mohammed Alattar Rethinks Masculinity

This artist encourages men to express their vulnerability.

By Sekka Team

Untitled by Omani artist Mohammed Alattar. Image courtesy of Mohammed Alattar.

Art, for 30-year-old Omani artist Mohammed Alattar, has always been about building safe spaces where others could express their emotions, vulnerabilities and feelings of alienation without fear of judgement or reprimand. Carrying the message ‘Allow yourself to feel,’ Alattar’s works, which range from digital artworks and acrylic paintings to dry ink sketches and mixed-media works, have drawn in viewers over the years who are undergoing hardships, who have a difficult time communicating how they truly feel in a society that is not always welcoming of such expressions of vulnerability, particularly when these feelings are expressed by men. It is not easy to be ‘a male in a society that has built an image that [indicates that] masculinity means we have to be emotionless,’ he describes. ‘I am breaking out of that stereotype, which is very challenging as not everyone is accepting of it.’

Untitled by Omani artist Mohammed Alattar. Image courtesy of Mohammed Alattar.

Strongly believing that the more vulnerable he is in his art, the better he is able to connect with others through it, Alattar’s artworks, as shown here, often depict him holding or communicating with a smaller version of himself. This, he says, is a coping mechanism; the smaller version is a darker version of himself that he has learnt to love and accept, which has in turn helped him become a stronger person.

This article is part of The Creative Giants Issue. To read the issue digitally click here to buy a digital copy of the issue. To read the entirety of this article in print, click here or here to order a print copy of the issue.

The views of the authors and writers who contribute to Sekka, and the views of the interviewees who are featured in Sekka, do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sekka, its parent company, its owners, employees and affiliates.