Featured Member August 2021: Zafreen Mahfooz
“Art Means Being Alive”
This month we spoke to Art-full member, Zafreen Mahfooz, who will be guest-hosting our outing to the immersive Van Gogh exhibit on August 26th!
Q: Tell us a little about yourself — where are you from, where did you go to school, what do you do, and how long have you lived in NYC?
Hello! I am originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh. I moved to London to study law, earning my bachelor’s from University of London and master’s from University College, London ( UCL). My 10+ years of practice as a human rights professional in the UK and Europe focused on policies & practices in areas of migration, destitution, social integration, sexual and gender-based violence.
After migrating to NYC in 2013, I started freelancing as a writer/editor for Townsend Press and other literary agencies, whilst also reviewing restaurants, films and theatre for PR firms. When my freelance workflow dried up during the Covid19 lockdown, I redirected my career once again, and retrained in Tech Management. I currently work for Harvard University as their Senior Business Systems Analyst.
Q: What does art mean to you and what do you like most about it?
To me, art means being alive! I live in Chelsea so I can come out of my apartment and walk into any number of galleries, art museums or theaters on any given day. I need art everyday, in any and all forms; verse, music, painting, graffiti, play, street dance, or even the cacophony of my neighbor’s eccentric guitar practice!
Q: What is your favorite art form and why?
I love all forms of art but there is something exhilarating about a live performance; be it a play, a dance performance or a concert. I feel so drawn to the palpable energetic exchange between the performing artists and myself; the audience.
Q: What do you love most about living in NYC, and how does it compare to some of the other places you've lived?
NYC pulsates with its unique energy that’s so raw, bold and vibrant; it nourishes and celebrates diversity, creativity and genius in ways that no other city I’ve known or lived in can. When I moved to Manhattan from London, I’d go and sit at bars to strike conversations with strangers next to me, and they would turn out to be some of the most incredible interactions! Only in NYC could I explore all the different parts of myself without having to conform to a label or a definition. NYC is the ultimate cosmopolitan, modern ‘Culture Capital’ of the world and has been since the 60s. I enjoy visiting other cities but my heart sings every time I see the Manhattan skyline from the window of my flight back ‘home’!
Q: How did you discover Women of Culture and what do you enjoy about the community?
I bumped into Women of Culture through a friend’s invitation to a WoC curated event. That chance encounter has now turned into an ongoing adventure! To be in love with the Arts and to live in a city like NYC is fabulous but it’s also overwhelming, because there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of events, exhibits, performances and shows all taking place simultaneously every week. So to have an expert do the research, pick the best from the NY art scene, and to organically grow a community through engagement with such curated art -focused experiences is unique to Women of Culture.
Q: Are you a big Van Gogh fan and what interests you most about seeing Van Gogh: the Immersive Experience?
While growing up in Dhaka, I had only seen prints of Van Gogh’s art as a child and they moved me deeply. During many sweltering tropical afternoons through my early teen years, the local radio would randomly play Don McClean’s ‘Vincent’ and I felt I knew Van Gogh through the song! Later, I visited his work in the British, European and US museums. I would love to experience the 3D phenomenon of ‘Van Gogh: the Immersive Experience’ to celebrate his genius.