Face-to-face with the ‘Omani Skull’

We meet one local artist’s funky alter-ego! 

When ‘Omani Skull’ reached Muscat, he made sure to munch on mishkak by the Muttrah Corniche before motorbiking to Nizwa where he found true love.

Coined by Omani content creator Mujahid Al Malki, the full-of-life character ventures across the Sultanate promoting major tourist attractions.

To counter the “taboo of using skeletons in Oman”, the 24-year-old artist created ‘Omani Skull’ and made him tour Oman and learn about its culture.

The Omani skull series received a tidal wave of likes and comments on Instagram, especially his last appearance where he sat next to a fuel station, holding a “job-seeker” sign.

More than 1,300 people liked the artwork which was posted amid nationwide calls for resolving unemployment issues in Oman.

Al Malki, the Air Space Engineering graduate says it’s important to create time-sensitive art that prompts people to engage and comment.

“I don’t want to create illustrations that people see on their feed and scroll down. To me, it’s important to make them stop and look at the details of the artwork and want to comment,” he said.

Inspired by award-winning illustrator Davide Bonazzi, his ‘Cost of Marriage’ artwork touched on the never-ending issue of high dowries in the Sultanate, a topic that was in the spotlight last year when a group of Omani musicians released a humorous cover of the Despacito internet sensation, singing about the prohibitive price of marriage arrangements in the country.

Through art, he sheds light on the importance of content creation.

“The younger generation needs to get out and use their skills to create visual content. I understand that they might lack resources, but it’s a great way to show your talent,” he added.

While Al Malki has gifted fans stickers carrying his art, he said that more of his merchandise and shirts will be coming soon to the market.

Tell us where do you think ‘Omani skull’ should go next?

The post Face-to-face with the ‘Omani Skull’ appeared first on Y Magazine. Y - Pulse of Oman. All rights reserved. 2014. https://www.y-oman.com

from Y Magazine http://bit.ly/2MPqHFu