It seems like every day when I log onto social media I see yet another news article or post about Charity Hamidullah making waves in the Atlanta art scene.
Whether she’s up on a scaffold painting a mural, leading a community painting event at a MARTA stop, or making an appearance at a ribbon cutting event, Hamidullah is seemingly everywhere in this city.
On a recent chilly morning, I headed over to Echo Contemporary Art in Guardian Studios on the Westside. Once there, I was met by Hamidullah who brought me to her studio and we sat together to discuss art, her career, and her undying love for Atlanta.
Originally from Rochester, New York, Hamidullah grew up in a family that encouraged art at every turn. “I have a super loving family,” she shared, telling me about how her father loved to write and her mother was constantly doodling. “It definitely comes naturally to me.” She originally moved to Atlanta in 2010, when she was only 20 years old, and she has been diligently working to carve out a place for herself here ever since.
Growing up, Hamidullah always loved art and hoped to make a career out of it. She started tattooing on the side at the age of 15, and after graduating from high school it took only one semester of college to decide that college was not the right path for her. And so she focused on what she knew and became a full time tattoo artist. It was tattooing that would eventually bring her to Atlanta.
“At one point in time, [Atlanta] was the Black Mecca of tattooing,” she told me. She saw artists working at places like City of Ink who were applying color on all skin tones, which was particularly new at that time. “It was somewhere I had to be. I took my first flight to Atlanta, I just realized I had to make it happen. And then I fell in love with Atlanta.”
Hamidullah saw that creatives and artists were thriving in the city. It seemed like people were happier and creativity was everywhere she looked. “It was beautiful,” she said, recalling how excited she was that photographers, writers, painters, tattoo artists, and more were working together and living well while pursuing their art. “When I was here in this artist space, it felt like a renaissance.”
Seeing how peaceful and happy the creatives here were made Hamidullah rethink her priorities. She felt that she would have the opportunity to change and grow here, and so she decided to stay. She began working as a tattoo artist and built a significant following with clients who traveled from around the world to visit her and get inked. Here in Atlanta, she worked at at Iron Palm Tattoos & Body Piercing, Black Owl Tattoo and Art Gallery, and of course City of Ink.
Eventually, when she opted to switch her focus from tattoos to fine art and murals, the city’s love for artists became even more evident. “As an artist, I feel like there’s so much love being poured into the arts here in general,” said Hamidullah. “I definitely felt like it was an easy transition because there was so much opportunity for Black female artists. Overall there are just great opportunities for artists here. It’s very open; if you want to learn and excel it’s very easy to do that.”
For a while, Hamidullah was reluctant to completely let go of tattooing and she tried to live in both worlds. After all, she had been tattooing for fifteen years. She had grown up in tattoo parlors. But eventually she felt it was finally time to make the leap into her life’s passion and pursue a career in the arts.
“I almost didn’t see myself as an artist when I started making murals because my schedule had changed so rapidly,” recalled Hamidullah. Going from tattooing all day every day to painting one mural a month was a big shift. “I had so much time that opened up, I really got to know myself as an artist and as a human.”
Hamidullah says she feels like she is still growing and discovering herself with every passing day. She says she is living in her truth and always thinking about connection. “Whereas before I was placing myself in a box of what I thought I should be, now my art is becoming more of a reflection of who I am.”
Born to an African American father and an Italian mother, Hamidullah sees herself as both Black and multicultural. Her experiences have informed her art, and she has traditionally been drawn to portraits because she loves people so much.
“My art is gravitating more to the reflection of that love,” said Hamidullah. “More togetherness, more community, more just showing my love and offerings to the Earth. I’m a little more open than I have been before. I think that shows through in all of the things that I’m doing.” As she develops her personal art style, she finds she is increasingly interested in exploring abstract artwork, illustration, and deconstructed figures.
In 2023, Hamidullah completed a number of larger projects that have garnered her even more art opportunities. She worked with Leah Abucayan on the Safe/Lee Bike Lane project coordinated by ArtzyBella in conjunction with MARTA ArtBound. The project gained a lot of attention and afforded her an opportunity to engage with the community who pitched in to paint the protected bike lane. Hamidullah was also chosen as the winning artist to paint Spruill’s 4th annual AMPLIFY mural on the side of the “Smoke House” by the Spruill Gallery in Dunwoody.
“I had to check myself and say ‘girl, you gotta be more open,’” said Hamidullah. “I pray that as my career grows I can always remind myself to ground myself, and be open, and to work with anybody I possibly can.”
And, when I asked which of her recent murals were especially meaningful to Hamidullah, she mentioned how incredible it was to work on Highside Market in Columbus. “That was a really amazing project because the owner of that market is creating a community space in Columbus which is something they don’t really have. He’s just pouring so much into the art in that space… it all has a message and a meaning.”
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Looking ahead to 2024, Hamidullah is particularly excited about some upcoming work with the Atlanta Ballet. She shared that she will be working on their set design and also designing some of the fabric for their clothing. “That’s a whole new space for me, and I’m excited to be in it,” she said.
For Hamidullah, the Atlanta BeltLine has long been a source of inspiration and joy, and so she is also looking forward to painting a mural for them this year. Hamidullah doesn’t like to say no to new opportunities, and that’s part of the reason why she is in such high demand.
“I said to myself that I just want to be in as many spaces as possible and inspire or empower as many people as possible. I never want to say no to things… If I can do it I want to do it. I want to be there,” said Hamidullah.