Born and raised in Sri Lanka, Naeem Riad is a sketch artist currently based between Sri Lanka, Bali in Indonesia, and Singapore. He is presently a freelance creative technologist at MeshMinds Singapore and has excelled as a creative, honing his skills over the years in multiple disciplines of sketching, digital illustrations, 2D and 3D animations, 3D sculpting, and Augmented Reality. 

Marking an incredibly significant milestone in his career, Naeem held his debut art exhibition titled ‘Skin & Graphite: An exhibition of fine art by Naeem Riad’ at the Harold Peiris Gallery, Lionel Wendt on 7 and 8 July. Curated by Andre Estefan, the exhibition concept centred on “celebrating the allure of the male anatomy and unravelling the power of self-expression”.   

The Sunday Morning Brunch embarked on a deep dive with Naeem about his debut exhibition, his career motivations as an artist, and what is in store for the young talent. 

You define yourself as a sketch artist. In terms of your skills and the pursuit of a career, how and when did you decide that this was your calling? 

I define myself as a sketch artist because of where my journey began – at the age of five or seven, sketching characters from my favourite shows. Following this, my mother shared with me how she used to paint and she became one of the first people who inspired me to draw. She was intrigued by the arts and both my parents fully supported me in my art as a hobby, but never really saw it as something that would make an income in the future.

Although I had no vision of a clear path in sketching as a profession, following the end of my school years, I took an interest in work that would make me an income; something that would let me use my skills in art as well as make a profit – graphic design.

I completed a foundation course in design at the age of 17 and began working as a freelance graphic designer for advertising agencies right after.

At 19, I met Stefan Andre Joachim, who saw potential in me as an artist. I began working for his fashion company Andre Estefan as a graphic designer, assisting him on projects and events and building my portfolio, skills, as well as knowledge in the world of design. Stefan is, to this date, my mentor and father figure. 

Initially, my first exhibition was titled ‘NaeemTeen’ when I was 19 years old, which seemed fitting at the time. It was scheduled to take place on 19 March 2019. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the exhibition had to be cancelled. During the period of social distancing, I utilised the time to teach myself 3D art by observing the works of other talented artists online. Eventually, I developed an interest in Augmented Reality (AR) and started incorporating my 3D skills into creating face filters for my social media using Meta Spark by Meta.

Through social media and a network of connections, my work caught the attention of MeshMinds in Singapore. I joined the MeshMinds team as a Creative Technologist, utilising AR to merge art, technology, and sustainability to protect our culture and the environment in the digital age. During my tenure with MeshMinds, I had the opportunity to design projects for UNEP, Meta, and Apple, aiming to educate, enable, and empower creators in shaping our collective future. My time at MeshMinds allowed me to flourish and expand my skills and knowledge in AR.

As the pandemic drew to a close, I decided that it was finally time to plan my first exhibition, four years after its originally intended date. Over this time, I have grown to perceive myself more as an artist rather than solely a technologist. Therefore, I decided to make graphite the main focus of this exhibition, as it is the fundamental medium that nurtured my passion for art during my childhood.

What would you say has inspired you the most over the years to pursue art as both a career and a passion?

Seeing other artists create is what inspires me the most – seeing what a creative person is capable of and how they can reach their full potential. This is why I am constantly learning throughout my journey.

In all honesty, I never imagined that my art would build a career for me, since when I was younger I could see that artists didn’t really get to build a career in their work unless they were well known or well-connected in the industry and the less fortunate always seemed to be exploited. 

Although that was the case, I still couldn’t imagine myself at a 9-5 desk job creating for others; I knew that would be torture for the artist inside me.

I would say the thing that inspires me the most to pursue art as both a career and passion is my happiness and free will; that feeling of fullness and knowing that creating art is what drives me and brings me joy. I believe that anything that you do for a living should bring you joy. That is what inspires me.

How would you describe your style of work, i.e. what is your identity as an artist? 

I am an artist of interest and every medium interests me, from pencil, paint, and paper to digital illustrations, 3D sculpting, and AR.

Because of my interest in many mediums, I tend to self-teach, as I have throughout the years, and have picked up many skills. Although I have knowledge in other mediums, I feel most creative and skilled in the medium of graphite pencil sketches.

I wouldn’t say I have a specific style as I like to try to mimic many other artists’ work, but my style is mostly realism as I enjoy creating art that looks and feels real. I try to achieve this in most of the mediums I use.

My love for realism comes from my love for photography and video games; it’s all in the details – the focus on the light and shadow, the depth, the texture, and the finest of features. 

Tell us about ‘Skin & Graphite’. 

My debut art exhibition ‘Skin & Graphite’ marks a significant milestone in my artistic journey, showcasing my profound dedication to the normalisation of nude art and the celebration of self-expression within a society that often discourages it. My current body of work is a testament to my artistic vision, drawing inspiration from male anatomy. 

‘Skin & Graphite’ is a message to everyone to know that it is okay to sexualise oneself and that anyone can feel sexy without feeling judged. My exhibition invites viewers to challenge societal norms and explore the profound beauty and sensuality that lies within every individual.

What is your reasoning for selecting nude art as part of your debut exhibition?

One reason is because I am a nudist. My partner and I are constantly nude in our home, wherever in the world that may be. It isn’t something that is sexual, but has more to do with feeling free and comfortable in our skin.

Nude art has been an inspiration to me ever since the age of 14, when I first came across Tom of Finland, an artist who created stylised highly masculinised homoerotic art and influenced late 20th century queer culture. 

After coming across many more nude portrait artists like Tom of Finland, I began to take an interest in creating similar work at a young age, but since I hid the fact that I was gay at the time, I would always have to throw them away before they could be found.

What are your hopes for this exhibition and what do you wish for those who experience it to take away from it?

I hope this exhibition inspires other queer artists in Sri Lanka to create whatever makes them happy and let them know that they shouldn’t be afraid to express what they feel, no matter what society says. Art can be whatever you want it to be and that no one can tell you what you should and should not create.

Now that the public has had a chance to experience your work, how do you feel looking back and about the feedback you have received?

In all honesty, I wasn’t quite confident that I would get supportive feedback regarding the images I’ve created, as the mindset of many Sri Lankans towards nudity is quite negative. To my surprise, I was praised for what I had created. A majority of the feedback that I received on my artwork was that it was not something you would expect in Sri Lanka, but something you would expect in Europe.

The audience was pleased to see the nude male figure portrayed in such a way that most artists in Sri Lanka do with the nude female figure.

I was also praised by the audience for the AR experiences I had created, as it was some viewers’ first time experiencing something like this. Most viewers commented that this was something that you would only experience overseas.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m looking to create more work and hold many more exhibitions, hopefully overseas as well. I plan to study more about fine arts and realism, as I feel I have a lot more to learn and am yet to reach my full potential. I also hope to teach others how to create and reach their potential. 

I also plan to one day own a gallery space in Europe as well as Sri Lanka. A space that would exhibit and nurture young artists’ talent – artists struggling to get their work seen.