Anyone here from Brum?? :sister:
Pockets of Joy by Khaver Idrees
Art & Islam
A year long exhibition of art and Islam sees themes of peace, love and unity on display at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Now Open until 2nd July 2006
Gallery 28 – Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
The first exhibition of the year long Art & Islam project is now open at Gallery 28 in Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and features the work of Shaheen Ahmed and Khaver Idrees.
Ahmed and Idrees share an interest in the written word, from poetry and proverbs to Arabic letters and words. Their prints and paintings, featured in this new exhibition, draw upon themes of peace, love and purity.
Councillor John Alden Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport and Culture said: "This exhibition is the first of many in the year-long Art & Islam programme which celebrates the work of visual and performing artists, predominately from the West Midlands, who have been inspired by Muslim culture.
"The programme is building upon last year’s Illuminating Faith project and I hope that it will continue to open up Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery to a more diverse audience whilst giving visitors an insight into the Muslim culture."
Ahmed has been fascinated with Arabic script since her childhood and uses it as a tool within her work to express her cultural roots and her more recent work bears the influences of both Arabic and Chinese calligraphy. Idrees finds inspiration in verses from the Qur’an as well as poetry as a means of giving her paintings powerful underlying messages.
‘Layering’ is a common bond between the two artists’ work within this exhibition. Ahmed’s prints are often composed of layers of different images, some of them her own and others taken from a range of sources including English and Urdu newspapers cuttings and Arabic scripts from the Qur’an.
Similar to Ahmed’s printmaking process, Idrees’ paintings are achieved through a build up of multiple layers of translucent paint; combining poetry with patterns often inspired by William Morris textiles and symbolic motifs, in particular hearts and circles.
Shaheen Ahmed and Khaver Idrees’ work will be on display until 2nd July 2006. To find out more about the Art & Islam’s full programme of events please ask at one of the museums’ reception desks or visit
www.bmag.org.uk/artislam