Just as we were about to leave the cafe after lively chat and a cup of tea, Hydar Dewachi said: “I prefer to collaborate with others because it brings out the best in my creativity”. It seemed like it was time to get the notebook out and stay a little longer.  We spoke about collaborations, creative skills and the idea of “minglism”.

Hydar has been a freelance photographer since April 2010 (although he started practicing in 2002), when he left his job as a technical support engineer at Microsoft.  But he hasn’t left his technology background behind him completely, it’s still very much a part of his practice, and it’s provided him with a unique take on collaboration.

Hydar in Paris. Photo by Thomas Crossman

 “We can’t only justify being individuals because we all need to do something together”. Hydar Dewachi

On inspiration

“When it comes to creativity, I enjoy working with other people.  Not just with other artists, but a group of people with different skills that can each add something to the mix”.  Recently, Hydar was commissioned to photograph the WAKE exhibition by Arts Admin at Dilston Grove – a six-week project where artists were invited to undertake a mini-residency, each picking up where the previous left off.  Although as photographer, Hydar was more of an observer, the act of being in an evolving collaborative environment like this enabled him to draw inspiration from the work that developed. Collaborations and conversations are most valuable when they bring people together with different expertise.

On ‘minglism’

Together with his friend Xavier Pick – a painter who mixes his work with digital photography – they developed the term “minglism” when they had the idea to combine their work and mediums. They preferred to let the collaboration develop organically rather than forcing it. “When we first met, we didn’t know how we were going to work with each other, so each time we had a conversation, we would record it.  A lot of conversations get lost if you don’t record them.”

On skills

“It used to be ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ but now I believe being a jack of all trades is mastery in itself” says Hydar. “You don’t need to be perfect in one thing, but you do need to have a wide range of skills, for example, if you’re taking pictures to be shown on a website, your knowledge of technology will help you to know what works in that medium”. Artists should reconsider how they define their skills.  Those that say they only do one thing are limiting themselves, as now you’re expected to have a range of skills just to practice your art – e.g. a photographer might use film but will still need to know how to scan them for digital use. Just as important is the ability to define those skills, and talk about them, so that others’ know your capabilities for potential collaborations.

On combining creativity, technology and identities

Hydar has always been sure to talk about all sides of his work – whether he’s someone that works in IT doing photography (when he was at Microsoft), or a photographer that used to work in IT (currently) – and these multiple identities regularly make an appearance in his practice.  A recent project explored the use of Google Earth for showing work.  Not a new thing, but Hydar used his comfortable relationship with technology to show that an art doesn’t always have to be in an exhibition – it can be online too.  “The project is to show my journey to become a British Citizen, and the distance I’ve travelled. After a year, I realised I didn’t need to be either Iraqi or British, I could be both nationalities together”.

This mingling and fusing is clearly demonstrated through Hydar’s website, which he has designed and developed himself to showcase his work – an online photographic gallery, a digital flick-through of his journals containing notes, sketches and collages; and PDF downloads of text pieces reflecting on his Iraqi heritage and dual nationality.   Hydar has developed an approach which means that he happily combines disciplines, skills and experiences, and has an openness to working with others to learn and develop his practice.

More info and examples of Hydar’s work at www.dewachi.com