My practice is an exploration and projection of identity, politics, and a sense of place. As a British Asian Muslim who wears the hijab in the UK today, the discourse around my identity is politically challenging. Being seen as a threat has led to paradoxical notions of invisibility and hyper-visibility and is a prevalent feeling among Muslim women today. Islam and its traditional dress have continually been viewed negatively in the Western mainstream. My work intends to assert my aspirations for Islamic attire by looking at its positive and empowering representations whilst exploring my hybrid identity. In this respect, I combine eastern and western styles of dress and patterns from the past and present. Affirming a sense of belonging to British culture, whilst continuing to express Islamic values and beliefs. Through mixed media, such as printmaking and textiles, I use fabric mainly in monochrome tones to build garments that can also function as sculptures. I then combine these ‘sculptures’ with animation, video and sound to create engaging environments. Working like this has led me to consider how movement, combined with a journey's function in my video work, has also driven interest in global political matters.

 

The work began by creating an immersive experience for the viewer through experimental performance, costume, and sound. From being transported to another dimension or place, see Maps of Dystopia, which refers to the Middle East and its catastrophic wars between the West. The composition of the layered patterns printed on the garment, is a metaphor for the turmoil changes in the East, as well as the cultural and political differences, post 9/11. Additionally, time is another interest and facet in this work, such as the use of reversing or fast-forwarding movements and sounds. An insinuation of how time is an erosion of our existence. The movie, ‘Batman the Dark Knight trilogy’, helped with finding inspiration and attention in the role of heroic characters and epic soundtracks. For example, Batman presented as a hidden masked hero, influenced me to create an empowering dramatic garment by using black and extending features to appear defensive. 

 

Little dream dress 2030 focuses on my experiences of overconsumption and its consequences. Today, consumer capitalism and its manipulative and mass marketing techniques are still widespread and have caused addiction and dissatisfaction. As Jameson says, “the new cannot simply replace the old but must develop within it somehow.” (1) This led to creating an ecotopian view of the fashion industry. The idea was initially an animation to be projected onto a worn garment in which I duplicated myself. However, as the projection was ineffective, I alternatively created a supposed digital advertisement of a high-tech, eco-friendly garment. Whilst also implying the environmental effects of fast fashion through distorting the animation. Moreover, embedding a composed trance sound that fits with the video’s movement, offers a time-based emergent experience for the audience. The intention is to direct the viewer through different realities and worlds. 

 

Following this, M-power is an idealistic, current representation of Muslim women, who appear as more empowering than how today’s society perceives them as. I use patterns to express my thoughts and emotions of the complexities between the East and West. However I subvert this by creating an empowering representation of Muslim women by fusing elements of Islamic art with western motifs. For example, the repetitive Islamic patterns which gradually separate from each other, reflects on the negative perceptions of Muslim and their respective dress code, which are then interrupted with the Nike logo. However, I believe the Nike ticks create this feeling towards peace, hope and acceptance as well as guidance to the good path, in this case, the portal archway. Whilst also combining the colours black and white suggest this paradox of what’s right and wrong and these differences between the two societies which are purposely blended to create a sense of unity. Moreover, by incorporating a past design with the contemporary has led to a few refashioned modest garments, which aims to 'blend' in with western society. Alongside this, through video and sound, I spotlight the rejection and misrepresentation of Islam and its dress code in a dystopian to utopian manner.

 

The influence from Islamic architecture, its patterns, calligraphy, and prayer mats, has helped develop my ideas and produce numerous works. Prayer mats evoke a sense of journeying, of being transported to a peaceful place. This opened the idea of the portal, as another vehicle of transportation. Taking elements from Islamic art and carrying them into a contemporary world is important for me as with other influential artists. For example, Faig Ahmed and Yinka Shonibare’s encounter with cultural patterns, transformed from their traditional values into contemporary art. Their use of critiques and storytelling, through textiles and sculpture, helped identify my journey informing visual political expression within my work. Furthermore, the inspiration behind M-power’s presentation expanding out into its space is derived from Beverly Semmes ‘Blue Gowns’ 1993. Rather than being garments, they become monuments. Symbolizing the power of Muslim women and Islam.

 

(1) Jameson Fredric, “An American Utopia: Dual Power and the Universal Army”, book, 2016.

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