The Dubai-based Artist Reinterpreting Young Love

Aagam Kaur’s dreamy self portraits break down heartache

Having recently graduated from high school, Indian-born, Dubai-based 18-year-old artist Aagam Kaur decided to take a gap year so she could take some time to find herself and explore her photography.

 

Despite refusing to being pigeonholed as a photographer, Kaur’s medium of choice has seen the artist experiment with pastel Petra Collins-esque self-portraits in her bedroom. In the series, which is entitled Plastic Love, Kaur uses her distinctly childlike, bubble gum aesthetic to examine the failed expectations of young love.

 

 

 

MILLE caught up with Kaur to find out how she began experimenting with self-portraiture, the inspiration behind her work and whether she believes modern love can exist.

 

 

How did you get in to photography?

 

To be honest, I started taking pictures, mainly self-portraits, because I am always haunted by the idea that what if, 30 years from now, my children ask me what I looked like in my youth and I have nothing to show them.

 

 

Why did you choose photography as your medium?

 

It might sound corny, but I am a hopeless romantic, and therefore I am extremely inspired by the idea of love and that’s what my pictures portray. 

If it’s not love, I’ll use photography to explore the daily struggles of life, such as loneliness.

 

 

How would you describe your work?

 

Relatable.

 

 

What inspired you the produce this particular series?

 

Despite not really having been in any serious relationships, my problem is that I do not gel well with boys of my age, and it’s been like that since I was young. From my experiences, I do not seem to find anyone on the same frequency as me because they’re usually quite immature. In this series, the pictures appear ironic; I literally use toys and plastic to depict the metaphorical factor behind boys being puerile or unreal.

 

The series is divided into three scenes. The first one is entitled Do you want to play with my tea set or are you busy playing with my heart, in which I mock the attitude of boys who play games in a relationship. The second one is entitled Can I cure your two faced personality, I promise it won’t hurt, pointing at how they aren’t even being themselves. And the third one, Sweet dreams lover boy, until next time, is the final act in which I cut it off and decide we move separate ways and never meet again.

 

 

With the birth of social media – do you believe that true love still exists?

 

In 2018, love isn’t superficial. Love is not a trend that existed in the 1990’s; it’s a feeling. Due to social media, people’s perspectives towards love and relationships have evolved, but I still think that falling in love feels the same. I am a social media kid, but the way I view love and romance is nonetheless still raw. There are 7 billion people out there, there has to be someone believing in true love, right?

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