“Art is a language of human connection that transcends time, age, and experience.”

Artist Dowa Hattem creates colorful abstract floral paintings that depict the intricacies of life. Her works represent the equation of good and evil, happiness and sadness, victory and defeat. For her, art is a means of spiritual healing. She often paints outdoors, finding solitude and inspiration in nature. When not making art, Dowa teaches painting as a university professor.

In this interview, Dowa talks about her inspirations, process, and journey as an artist.

Tell us about yourself.

I am an artist who deeply believes that creativity is far more than just work — it is a way of life, a gentle path to truly understanding the beautiful world around us.

On a personal note, I am a blessed mother of three wonderful daughters, each of them expressing her own unique artistic voice — from fine art to the delicate art of décor. Together, we cherish everything that feeds the soul and awakens the senses. We adore moments of quiet reflection, and we find endless joy in discovering the tiny, often overlooked details of everyday life, for it is there, in those simple moments, that the purest inspiration quietly blooms.

What are you most proud of—whether in art or another part of your life?

What I am most proud of is not any single achievement, but this beautiful, ongoing journey of growth and learning that I live every single day.

I hold dear my precious opportunity as a university professor, where I both practice art and teach it to generations of young women and men. Through this, I contribute to shaping psychologically balanced generations who know how to appreciate the gift of beauty wherever they find it.

With all my heart, I cherish my ability to continue gently, despite every challenge, and to keep my passion for art alive — vibrant, pulsing, and forever renewed.

I am also deeply proud that I have been able to express myself with complete honesty and purity through my work, weaving warm threads of human connection with everyone who looks at it, so that my paintings become little bridges from heart to heart.

Do you have any studio rituals that help you get into a creative flow?

Yes, I have some simple little rituals that help me slip gently into that beautiful state of creative flow.

First comes the music… I am deeply passionate about Chopin and Mozart. I also love soft, tender, youthful songs. Sometimes, I enjoy traveling back in time and listening to the beloved songs of my younger days.

I always begin by preparing the space around me — making it calm, organized, and spacious. I adore openness. I am truly blessed to have a large studio with a high ceiling where I can feel like I’m flying. The studio is surrounded on all sides by nature — flowers, trees, and peaceful lakes.

I have a great love for light.

Light, openness, and music — these are the true fuel of my creativity.

How do you structure your day?

I don’t follow a strictly rigid routine; at this stage of my life, freedom and simplicity are essential to me. However, I dedicate my clearest and most focused hours to my artistic work—at dawn, in the middle of the night, and sometimes throughout the entire day.

I believe my daily rhythm is shaped around creativity, interwoven with life’s responsibilities that I attend to, so I can return with renewed passion to my solitude—immersed in colors, music, and contemplation.

Where do you find inspiration for your art?

When I paint people, I find my inspiration first and foremost in human emotions, and in those sincere moments that may pass fleetingly yet leave a deep impression within.

As I have become more drawn to landscapes and abstraction, I now find my inspiration in nature itself—in those intangible feelings carried by a flower, a patch of light, or a passing breeze. They have become, for me, clearer and more truthful. In fact, I feel that I can hear and understand them more deeply with each passing day.

Tell us about your evolution as an artist.

My evolution as an artist has been a gradual journey rooted in academic learning, continuous research, and ongoing experimentation, along with a deep effort to connect my academic studies with my true self.

In the beginning, I was drawn to exploring art history and the lives of pioneering artists. This developed further through my pursuit of a master’s and PhD, during which I conducted and published numerous research papers in specialized academic journals. My journey then extended into teaching generations of students as a university professor, supervising many doctoral theses, and serving on academic committees responsible for evaluating promotions to professorship in the field of art.

Over the course of more than forty years, this journey has been, in essence, an attempt to understand the different patterns of thought and emotion within the human mind and heart across societies and time—including my own. Gradually, I have come closer and closer to understanding myself. This growth has made my work calmer and more fluid, and has transformed the artistic process, for me, into a celebration of life as a whole.

How do you decide when an artwork is finished?

Honestly, I treat the completion of a painting more as a feeling than a direct decision. I like to step away from the artwork from time to time, to look at it from a distance—as if it were not mine, as if I were a stranger to it. I ask myself: What is missing? What is strong about it? Does it carry energy? And does that energy reach my heart?

Sometimes I rotate it in different directions—right and left, up and down—and I leave it for another day, because the morning often reveals new things. I return to it at different times and under different lighting conditions: morning, afternoon, and evening, so I can see it with a renewed perspective each time.

Eventually, I reach a moment where I feel the work is balanced and acceptable in all states, and nothing about it bothers me or urges me to change it. At that point, I resist the urge to keep painting, because the pursuit of perfection can sometimes do more harm than good.

When my sense of satisfaction gradually grows over time, I simply accept it and let the work go. I like to leave the painting fresh and alive, without imposing too much control over it.

What is the most interesting observation someone has made about your work?

One of the most meaningful comments I have ever received was from someone who said that my work makes them feel emotions that help them understand themselves better—and puts them in a better emotional state. They also mentioned that it creates an internal experience within the viewer before the mind even tries to interpret or make sense of it.

This description touched me deeply, as it reflects exactly what I strive for in my practice: for the artwork to go beyond form and reach a deeper level of perception, where emotional awareness and inner growth become the highest aim.

Is there an artwork from another artist that has had a significant impact on you?

Yes, there are many artworks by different artists that have had a profound impact on me—some of them have passed away, others are still alive, and some are even younger than I am. In fact, I am sometimes deeply moved by the works of my talented students as well.

For me, art is a language of human connection that transcends time, age, and experience. At its core, it is a gift bestowed by God upon whomever He chooses, allowing them to express themselves and the world around them in a sincere and meaningful way.

What’s your favorite museum?

I have visited many museums around the world—in Italy, France, and Spain, where I currently live—and each one has its own unique charm and experience. However, what touches my heart most deeply is ancient Egyptian art, especially in Luxor and Aswan.

There is something extraordinary about that civilization: the simplicity of its ideas combined with profound depth, and its remarkable ability to express eternity and the human spirit in a way that continues to inspire me to this day.

I am also very proud to be Egyptian at my core, and this connection to my roots always gives me a strong sense of belonging and continuity through time.

Is there anything else you’d like to share to help viewers better understand your work?

I always prefer to leave a space between the artwork and the viewer—a space that allows each person to experience it in their own way and feel it through their personal perspective. I do not believe in a single fixed interpretation of art; rather, I believe that the strength of an artwork lies in the multiplicity of its readings.

What I simply hope for is that feeling comes before explanation, and that the work touches something sincere within the viewer, even if they cannot express it in words. For me, art is first and foremost an emotional experience, and a continuous attempt to understand life and the human being in a deeper and more honest way.

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