Shang Salah

Having a day job in TV and a separate creative practice spanning visual art, photography and filmmaking has allowed Shang Salah the space and time to develop her creative voice. It’s all about allowing yourself to make mistakes. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t felt the pressure to have it all figured out – “We live in an information age of ultimate productivity, efficiency and speed, and that has led us to believe that if one isn’t famous by 23, then all prospects are ruined,” she tells CLIP.

What I do

My creative practice
In short, I am a London-based Kurdish-Iraqi visual artist, filmmaker and researcher. I also write and curate, co-run a creative collective, and have been working in TV for the past couple of years. The connecting thread between all these tangents is the topics I explore: temporality, memory, the archive and community, while each discipline is rooted in a desire to play and learn a new form of expression.

It has been a journey of change, which I find is the best state for my practice to flourish in. I have always enjoyed creation as a means to evolve and learn rather than as a strict discipline to adhere to.

Influences and inspiration
My work is theoretically grounded; most recently, the French philosopher Paul Ricoeur’s writings on memory and history struck a chord with my visual art practice. I also adore the works of Lebanese artist Walid Raad and how they reimagine institutional archives.

Photography is a medium that inspires me a lot, even if I don’t do photography in the traditional sense. I love the photography and collages of Lorna Simpson and Deborah Turbeville, and the fashion photographers Guy Bourdin and Helmut Newton. Moving-image creators who influence me are Arthur Jafa, John Wilson, Patrick Kieller, Agnès Varda and many more. I am very moved by the films of SWANA directors, such as Abbas Kiarostami, Youssef Chahine and Fatih Akin.

London is always inspiring: I am amazed by its size and many pockets of life. My Kurdish-Iraqi roots and familial history are the source of all my curiosities. I love music and discovering new artists; my all-time favourite and most listened-to musician is Egyptian singer Mohammad Mounir.

My training
I received my bachelor's in TV and Media Production from UCA. I then worked in TV production right away – the training for my ‘day job’. Outside of that, everything was trial and error. My practice and projects have been slow burners, involving many mistakes and ‘bad’ work until I finally figured out a style or improved a technique.

I recently completed a master’s at LSE, an intense academic journey which developed my research and reading abilities. This has greatly but indirectly influenced my practice: I am noticeably much better at conceptualising and articulating my thoughts.

Favourite recent project
My recent photo series, ‘Dissolving Matters’. I intervened with film negatives from my archive: bleaching, burning, scratching and then layering them against different light sources to visualise the decay of memory over time. Our memory is never a duplicate of the past as it occurred, but a collision of different images, beliefs and moments.

Secondly, an event with ROOD, my creative collective, that we threw in mid-August, combining an arts show, performance and workshop. I co-run ROOD with three friends, and it is our way of supporting the creative community and emerging artists by spotlighting their practices. Throwing these events is such a joy.

A day in the life
No two days are alike. Especially since I only just submitted my master's thesis, the past few months have been chaotic. During the day, it’s academic or day-job work, while evenings and weekends are when my creativity flourishes. Usually, I am either at a library or in my room when I’m creating. I am excited for a healthier work-life balance in the future and hopefully finding a studio next year.

A starter pack for my job:

How I got here

Starting my creative journey
I am a slow-burner. While I have been creating work for slightly over three years now, it’s only recently that I discovered my individual voice and vision. But the long journey is what established a stronger discipline and sense of self.

I began with video work, which then turned into video art and experimental video editing techniques. Quickly after, I also gravitated to collage and experimental photography. Writing has also been a consistent part of my life for years now. Alongside all of this, I began my collective in 2023, which is when my curatorial and events production work began.

Landing my first few jobs, clients and/or commissions
In my case, it has been mostly actively reaching out – from 50 rejections, someone eventually says yes. I am lucky that I can do TV jobs that financially sustain me, as art clients continue to be difficult to attain, especially as my style can be very niche. The commissions I have received have been incredible in developing my style.

Biggest challenges along the way
The biggest challenge is undoubtedly finances. It is very hard for emerging creatives to find consistent work in their discipline.

I have also struggled a lot with self-doubt and insecurity, which has hindered my progress. Promoting your work, or even calling yourself an artist, is a challenge of its own, especially when you’re constantly surrounded by metrics of success like profit and recognition.

My social media and self-promotion vibe is…
Admittedly, I am not the best at social media and take a long time to promote my work, though I have been getting better and it isn't as scary as it was at the start. My best advice is to stop overthinking it: it’s only an Instagram post. Whether it receives one or 1k likes, it isn’t the end of the world. We are far too accustomed to numbers dictating our worth. Put your art out there with pride, knowing that its value is beyond the borders of a screen.

Three things I've found useful in my career:

Courses, programmes, initiatives, access schemes or job boards I've found helpful
I am currently part of the Mosaic Rooms Young Collective. We meet once a month to learn and discuss new forms of creativity and expression; it’s a great way to learn from other emerging talents and push yourself outside of your comfort zone. If you’re25 or under, be on the lookout for next year’s cohort.

Then my collective, ROOD: through our events, we meet new people and talents that I then collaborate with on other projects.

My greatest learnings when it comes to making money and supporting myself as a creative:
Find some sort of field that can be a day job while your own practice evolves; extra points if it’s still within the creative industries. Don’t be afraid to ask for more on a commission.

Try to find DIY or secondhand alternatives: in my case, eBay has been a good friend for finding cheap tools. Try to be as resourceful as possible: reuse materials, borrow items from friends, get creative and find substitutes.

Advice

My most useful career tips
Making mistakes and being bad at what you do is fine. We live in an information age of ultimate productivity, efficiency and speed, and that has led us to believe that if one isn’t famous by 23, then all prospects are ruined. Accept the journey for its many mishaps and falls; that is when your most authentic and artistic self emerges.

What I'd say to someone looking to get into a similar role
Create a lot. Show off your work even when you aren’t confident about it. Contact people about your practice. Call yourself an artist from the start; don’t tiptoe around that title. Read a lot. Expose yourself to subjects and fields seemingly unrelated to your practice. Have a curious mind and a willingness to learn. With time, the dots will magically connect.