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Summer Rooftop Exhibition: Meet The Artists

Launching this August, our new rooftop exhibition 'Bidrohi', gives home to the work of three contemporary British Bangladeshi artists in collaboration with Jack Arts. Meet the artists making waves in the London art scene this summer and discover what makes them tick.

MOHAMMED Z RAHMAN

 

What inspires your art?

Two things; one, a desire to realise dreams in colour and two, a duty to speak to history to drum up loving solidarity in the now.

 

Do you have creative/ cultural role models? 

I rate Nan Goldin, Noname, William Morris and Zanele Muholi for how true they are/were to their politics and how they advocate through their art.

 

What’s your soundtrack when making art?

I slap on the radio to save the hassle of choosing and it gets me on to new artists and tunes. Shout outs to Anu who hosts my favourite show on NTS.

 

What connects you to East London?

I was born in Newham and have lived most of my life between Ilford and Leyton.

 

Or what do you like most about East London? 

The unexpected nature. I’ve spent so much time in Walthamstow and Hackney Marsh, I’m sure I’ll haunt it when I’m dead.

 

Who are your favourite artists right now and why?

Keeping it to painters, I’m big on Salman Toor and Toyin Ojih Odutola for their domestic and wildly imaginative world-building.

PUER DEORUM

 

What inspires your art?

I am inspired by small details, patterns and cycles that I recognise in the world around us. I’m also really inspired by my feelings and interpersonal relationships. I’m very influenced by film and music too.

 

Do you have creative/ cultural role models? 

My creative role models are mostly my friends and those who make art to be inclusive, facilitating space for multiple perspectives. I really love what Riz Ahmed does, especially his older music videos.

 

What’s your soundtrack when making art?

This varies but often times when I’m focused on making, I listen to podcasts. A recent one that I’ve been enjoying is Empire Lines, which interviews different artists around their practises.

 

What connects you to East London?

I was born in Hackney and grew up in East London. I tend to meet friends here often and so it will always feel like home for me.

 

Or what do you like most about East London?

I love the mix of cultures all over London, but in East London specifically, I get to eat authentic Bangladeshi food which I don’t have access to as much since being an adult.

 

Who are your favourite artist right now and why?

My favourite artist for a long time has been Precious Okoyomon. I love how their interdisciplinary practice interweaves poetry, history, ecology and sculpture to create beautiful and totemic installations. I also really love the work of Zadie Xa and the way she depicts mythology, again, using multimedia for the sake of her storytelling.

 

ACE RAHMAN

 

What inspires your art?

I explore themes of connections, between people, places, history and ways of seeing life through storytelling and a surrealist lense rooted in various mythological, folkloric and ritualistic traditions.

 

Do you have creative/ cultural role models? 

Art, design and culture comes from the bottom up, not top down, some of the best pieces of work I’ve seen have been made by lay people, crafts men and women in rural areas or corners of cities here and in the motherland – I was born in a family of artists and creatives, I was just the first one to realize it and see what they didn’t see within themselves.

 

What’s your soundtrack when making art?

I oscillate between ambient and hardcore.

 

What connects you to East London?

The people and community.

 

Or what do you like most about East London? 

Banglatown! Never in my life had I ever seen road signs in Bangla until I came to East London.

 

Who are your favourite artist right now and why

I am lucky to be surrounded by talented individuals and artists, I couldn’t pick one so I pick all – the passion, dedication and love I see in the people around me for their practice whether it is in music, arts. design, fashion whatever is inspiring and continues to inspire me.

Bidrohi is a free exhibition hanging from the Old Spitalfields Market roof that can be seen during the Market’s open hours from 14th August onwards.

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