Texas Banker Turned Artist Uses Polaroids to Take On Everything From Trump’s Immigration Policies to Colin Kaepernick

Said Abusaud is a banker by day and an artist by night. The local creative, who founded Dallas’ Afterglow Gallery – an online visual art platform and artist collective – wants to use his talents to spark a change. Abusaud’s latest project, titled “Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself,” uses portraiture to create a discourse about current events and hot-button social and political issues.

Abusaud photographed 12 individuals with a Polaroid camera and asked them to answer tough questions about everything from immigration policies to Colin Kaepernick.

“I usually don’t have to say anything, I let my art do the talking,” Abusaud says. “This is different.”

Inspired by the pop culture activists like Childish Gambino, the artist wanted to make a bold statement with his work. Choosing 12 people from different backgrounds and different walks of life, Abusaud hoped to gain perspective.

“I usually only work with my team,” he says. “This time, I wanted to include people I work with… but also I wanted to get everyday people, not just artists.”

Abusaud included a writer, a student, a paralegal, a film producer, local artist Sudie, a blogger and others. He also sought to put together a highly diverse group to get the perspective of different ethnicities.

“It was important to me to get different people from different backgrounds discussing things that are very important to me,” he says.

While some of the interview subjects are close friends and collaborators with Abusaud, and share similar political views, he also sought out opposing opinions to create a rich discourse.

“For the most part, the answers are views that I would agree to,” he says. “But there are a couple that I didn’t necessarily agree with, but then again that’s why I’m doing this. I didn’t want to agree with all of them.

“If I agreed with all of the answers none of us are learning.”

The photographic series and its accompanying dialogue is accessible for a limited time through the Afterglow Gallery website.