Immigration Ain't Easy Ep. 30: Multidisciplinary Artist Safwat Saleem

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Safwat Saleem joins me in this episode to talk about his journey from Pakistan to the United States and how immigrant themes are prevalent in his artwork. Safwat  is a multidisciplinary artist with a key focus on cultural loss resulting from assimilation. As described on his website, "Safwat’s body of work weaves together themes of preservation, desire to belong, resistance and  joy as an immigrant father raising a multiracial child in the American Southwest."

Safwat, now a Pakistani-American, talks about his arrival in the U.S. as an F-1 student visa holder attending college in Mississippi and the cultural differences that came with living there as a practicing Muslim. He speaks of his motivations to become an artist and how he uses satire as a tool to challenge perceptions. Safwat art is multidimensional as he uses graphic design, illustration and writing to film and sound. 

Safwat believes in using his art for social impact and has collaborated with non-profit and change-making organizations like Fine Acts, 18 Million Rising, RUN AAPI, SAADA and TED. 

Safwat is a pizza connoisseur and that makes him a-OK in my book!