Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Chrysanthemum Ahmed

We recently had the chance to connect with Chrysanthemum Ahmed and have shared our conversation below.

Good morning Chrysanthemum, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Lately, I’ve been having meaningful, deep eye contact with pigeons throughout the city of Copenhagen. It makes me feel connected, being able to sit down and watch these groups of pigeons peck at the concrete ground and coexist together. Their feathers look soft, and sometimes they are missing pieces of their feet, but they are mostly crowding places wherever humans are. I remember sitting outside of the Nørrebro City Center and watching this particular pigeon. We made eye contact that made time stop, and it made me feel emotional to be able to have a nonverbal connection with this being that most might consider a pest. It’s reminders like this that even within a cityscape, nature is prevailing.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Chrysanthemum Ahmed and my artist name is MUCANA. I do a little bit of everything, but I mostly consider myself an artist that explores the enigmatic through various mediums: music, sculpture, photography, writing, and performance. What makes my work unique is my interdisciplinary, avant-garde approach. I have the desire and willingness to explore what is taboo, uncomfortable, and hidden underneath. I recently executed a performance art piece titled “Regresar” which incorporated a video collage of footage I’ve taken from different beaches throughout the world. I created a soundscape using different samples of Denmark’s ocean, as well as a narrative exploration of Salvadoran cultural symbolism of the ocean, retold by my mother. While the visuals and sounds played in the background, I laid on a white clothed table and felt the water in my body, moving as the ocean would. I slowly made my way to standing, picked up a bowl of water, and whispered “regresar” into it rhythmically. I walked around the table, held the bowl above my head, and let the water pour onto me. There is no recording of this as I feel there is magic in being completely in the moment, both as an audience member and performer.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I remember as a child I was stubborn, playful, and full of confidence. I wanted to be a singer and dancer; I spent so much time writing my own songs in composition books and choreographing routines to pop music. Fully unmasked, I was an intense force of energy that loved abstract art and mermaids. I questioned everything out of curiosity and I also loved being alone. I was completely weird, as people around me told me growing up. I gave up on some of those dreams and tried to subdue my intensity/weirdness during my adolescence, but these past few years I have been reconnecting with my child self. They knew what they wanted and liked, and I still have that in me.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
This is a transitional time in my life; I was recently diagnosed with a life-long condition that impacts my mobility and causes me chronic pain. Throughout the physical pain and general alienation, I’ve learned that I have limits. This is a normal part of having a body, and something everyone will learn within their life. I am so used to productivity, pushing through pain/discomfort, and having the freedom to live a spontaneous life. I’ve had to reevaluate my future and the life I thought I would live, and my relationship to dance has been completely changed. However, this process has taught me the importance of slowing down, prioritizing tasks, and not valuing my worth on how much I can do in a day. It’s also made me think about the idea of improvement as an artist– yes we can strive to improve, but if our health causes us to lose ability/skill, what else can we do except adapt and work with what we have? Things can’t be completely perfect, but with my goals and projects, I try to the best of my ability.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
No, I think people are very complex and hard to pin down, myself included. There are different sides of me that come out depending on the time of day, season, and people I’m surrounded by. Yes, there are things that are part of me that are also a part of the public version of me, like my values and creativity, but my private self is not the same as my public self. The “real me” is probably something that can’t be completely understood or perceived by one person, and I don’t think it has to be. There is definitely a balancing act between my private and public self, what I choose to express or keep in, that lets me be appropriately authentic depending on the social situation.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I feel like I am doing what I was born to do. When I was younger, I definitely tried to do what I was told. I was miserable trying to fit into a box that just couldn’t hold me. I realized that I could pursue what I really wanted to do when I met others making a living from living from their passion. I am not yet completely where I want to be, but I remember a time where I longed to be where I am in the present. Although some people might look down on me for taking this path, I feel a lot more aligned and no longer bitter.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mucanamusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MUCANA888
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mucana

Image Credits
Alayna Nwadike