F5: Michael Hambouz Feeds Creativity With Creativity
Multi-hyphenate creative Michael Hambouz joins us for Friday Five, sharing a love of studio/gallery visits, the 2nd grade art project that opened up his world + more.
Multidisciplinary artist, multi-instrumentalist musician, illustrator, and independent curator are a few of the biggest hats Brooklyn, NewYork-based Michael Hambouz wears. The first-generation Palestinian-American creates chromaesthesia-influenced works ? experiments in dimension and color, created under the guidance of music ? to process bouts of loss and self-reflections on cultural identity.
“The moment I paid off my student loans and was able to put away enough savings to keep me afloat for 6 months, I quit my last paid salary position?throwing caution and good healthcare coverage to the wind,” Michael says of the moment art went from hobby to career for him. “At the very end of my 6-month mark, I was commissioned to paint the titling sequences for Oliver Stone?s “Untold History of the United States” ad campaign for Showtime ? this gig provided me with enough income to extend my time in the studio for another year, cover the expenses for my first solo show, and the campaign was ultimately awarded a 2013 Silver Promax BDA Award, helping to launch my illustration side business. It has been 12 years now that I have been working full-time in my studio (I superstitiously knock on wood every time I state this).”
Experimenting freely with mediums, Michael encourages un...
