SMILEYWOR1D AKA FARHANA IS A MULTI TALENTED CROSSOVER ARTIST WHO CAN TURN HER HAND TO MOST, IF NOT ALL, DIFFERENT TYPES OF ART. A “THIRD CULTURE KID” UPBRINGING THAT RESONATES WITH MANY IN HONG KONG, AND PERHAPS THIS IS REFLECTED IN HER ARTISTIC OUTPUT. SMILEYWOR1D TELLS US MORE ABOUT HER ART AND EXPLAINS THE MEANING BEHIND IT.
Smileywor1d (本名Farhana) 她是多才多藝的跨界藝術創作者，幾乎可以掌握她所觸及各範疇的藝術創作。一個扎根香港的多元文化家庭背景為她帶來不少共鳴，或許這成就了她的創作靈感。Smileywor1d將會告訴我們更多有關她創作及背後的意義。
Hey Smiley (can we call you Smiley for short?). Thanks for the collab. Can you tell us a little bit about Smileywor1d. Is it a name; an alter ego; what is it ? And tell us a little bit about how you landed on this identity?.
Hey FC Kowloon! Yes, lots of people do call me that, I find it adorable.
No way, you haven’t heard of the city Smileyworld? It’s where I’m from!
Sign us up! How do we get a visa?
[Laughs] I’m kidding, Smileyworld is my alter ego yes, but also a world that I take the viewer/listener to. My art and music is usually a post-modern, surrealist audio-visual experience where I share my creative ideas and vulnerability.
I’m a smiley girl, so I thought it’s only fitting to choose the name Smileyworld. My real name, Farhana, actually means fun and happy in Arabic, so it matches pretty well even though I didn’t intend it that way.
As you know we’ve followed your work for a while. 3D art & rendering is something we don’t know too much about. What in particular is it that drew you to this form of art?
During Covid, there was an explosion of tutorials on Youtube for this free open source 3D software called Blender, and I decided to follow some tutorials that I had saved during that time a few years later. There’s this creator on there called Intranetgirl, who I solely thank for making 3D interesting and fun to follow along. And no, I never followed the infamous 3D donut tutorial!
I had always been into making digital paintings ever since I was a teenager, and it felt like a natural move for me to look into 3D art. I especially love how everything can look so real but surreal in 3D, and the softwares just make it more accessible and quick to make something look realistic, without for example spending hours painting on lighting and shading in traditional art.
Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Smileywor1d’s journey over the next few years?
I’m not the type of person to know exactly what I’m going to be doing, for example it was never my plan to become this 3D animation artist. I’m excited for where my brain and heart will take my art in the coming year, especially as I’ve moved to Dubai for a while. I’m hoping to get even better at 3D art, but also work on my traditional acrylic painting, and I’ve been meaning to paint on clothes for the longest time. So what I’m saying is, expect everything!
Expect everything, including talent behind the decks as well. How did you get into DJing and is there any overlap across your creative talents ?
I was surrounded by friends who were trying to make it big as a DJ, and I thought why not try it out for fun? I ended up loving the medium to express myself via creative transitions, making mixes in different genres and showcasing my taste in music. I also make songs on Garageband pretty often;
“it’s a way for me to shake off all the emotional residue, just like journalling.”
So I’d say my musical knowledge in that space translated pretty well over to DJing and it was slightly easier for me to pick up and develop my own style.
This is your last DJ set before departing Hong Kong – take us through the inspiration behind this and what it means to you.
I strayed away from my usual ravey, dancey mixes and wanted to create a sweet experience of listening to some music at a cool local coffee shop like Sleepyhead at 10 in the morning. I chose a lot of Indian and Arabic songs for the first half, but mixed with UK garage, techno and house beats, genres I learned a lot about in Hong Kong. I wanted to showcase my taste in music along with my identity. I had to throw in some of my 3D work in the video, just cause it wouldn’t be Smileyworld if you aren’t visually assaulted by my art at all times!
Is there any other hidden creative skills you have that we’re not aware of?
I have a friend who once told me I’m a natural curator – she said I have a knack for picking out the coolest item at the thrift store, finding the most interesting tunes and putting together a sick design. I’d say there’s some truth to that; I just feel drawn to all things art, music and fashion. I’m obsessed with trying out different mediums, and I think I get over the fear of creating quite easily. You can always redo it, so why not try?
I’ve made zines, paintings, held events, put together legendary outfits (in my opinion) and make all kinds of songs from rap to DnB, so I would just say I have a go at anything that helps me get what’s in my head out into the world.
Can you talk to us a little about your upbringing and how has that contributed to your creative journey?
I’m a third culture kid, I don’t really feel like I belong anywhere and doubt that I ever will. I was born in Hong Kong, then raised in Malaysia and Dubai, changing schools and houses all the time. I’m originally Indian so I try to hold on to those roots, even though my roots are never held down.
“I think that not having a solid cultural identity helped me to venture out into the world as a genuine version of myself“
Feeling like I can always try new things as my identity is always in flux and I’m not too afraid of change.
How do you feel this city has shaped you and what’s your thoughts on Hong Kong as an arts / music / creative hub?
It’s the place to be if you want to put something out in the world. I feel like Hong Kong is small enough to get a lot of connections in a short period of time, and everyone is so friendly in the creative scene! The fast-paced nature of Hong Kong makes it willing to try out new things, like me, and the underground and alternative scene is quite a sight to behold. I think I’ve become more open to just putting my art out there into the world instead of locking it away with me because of this city, and I’m glad people resonate with it. It’s also the best place for collaboration in my opinion!
Watch Smileywor1d’s full set on YouTube below
To join the team at FC Kowloon you can purchase the limited edition shirt using the code SMILEYWORLD to get 10% discount.
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