Artists and designer, Kelly Dabbah, is a winner in the prestigious ZAZ 10 Times Square (@Zaz10ts) “ZAZ Contest” in Times Square. The one-minute animation video art piece titled, "Alone Together or Together Alone" focuses on how the country is currently facing two main issues focused on race relations, and the quarantine and the pandemic. Her winning submission is being displayed on the ZAZ 10 Times Square a video billboard through July 31, 2020.
ZAZ 10 Times Square is a cultural initiative and takes pride in scouting and showcasing the gamut of talent ranging from established artists to young and emerging talent, as well as special needs artists, as part of its programming.
“I decided to call it ‘Alone Together or Together Alone’ as a message that we should all be unified and stand together against racism and discrimination. The animation is made of pictures that I took during my time in quarantine in NYC, as well as pictures of paintings and collages that I have made. I wanted to create something simple that has the same aesthetic as a collage. I feel that people who recognize my art could recognize this video,” Dabbah explains See additional images on Instagram
See Kelly Dabbah’s winning video art .
Dabbah was inspired by the city and its buildings from Manhattan to Brooklyn. The slogan "New York Tough" was also inspiring as a positive message she saw on the highway when traveling from Long Island to New York City. “I was inspired by the flowers that I would see blooming while walking in the backyard during COVID-19. I was inspired by the comfort food that people would order or make themselves, such as pizza, which for me is a symbol of togetherness. I was inspired by symbols of peace, love and empathy,” Dabbah said.
ZAZ10TS is an ongoing cultural initiative that integrates art into the office building at 10 Times Square in New York City. The gallery space employs the building’s façade, lobby interior, and immediate environment to bring art and culture to the building’s community, visitors, and passersby. ZAZ10TS takes pride in scouting and showcasing the gamut of talent ranging from established artists to young and emerging talent, as well as special needs artists, as part of its programming.
Dabbah is a graduate of Parsons School of Design with a major in fashion design. She also holds a business management degree from Lausanne. Her art is multi-dimensional and has developed clothing collections, including a popular painted leather jacket line, designed various objects in home décor, and has designed a skateboard collection. Everything she does adds a bold accent and is meant to roll off the walls of an art gallery to rage through the streets and into homes.