 | 13 November 2014 |
| |
| BBC Homepage | | |
| |||
| Contact Us | | |
FeaturesYou are in: Birmingham > Faith > Features > Doodling Down Under  Artist Mohammed Ali Doodling Down UnderBy Adam Yosef, contributor A Birmingham graffiti artist has been 'doodling' Down Under by painting grand murals promoting peace in Australia’s major cities. Mohammed Ali, who also goes under the name of Aerosol Arabic, was invited to Australia to spread some of the themes and ideas which resonate through his faith-based art in Britain.  The completed Sydney mural Once a self-confessed unlicensed street artist, Mohammed rediscovered his faith during his university years and fused his beliefs with his primary passion for graffiti art. The result has been an explosion of breathtaking expression, symbolism and imagery exploring the relationship between being a young Muslim and living in a society as diverse in faith and culture as it is in social difference.  30 ft high mural in Melbourne Street art"I make it crystal clear to the young people I work with that I don't support illegal graffiti, but that I promote the techniques of street art. "Aerosol art is like art spilling from the galleries; it brings positive messages to the people who don't go to conventional art spaces," he said. The journey taken by Mohammed upon his spiritual rediscovery has propelled him to all corners of the globe and, today, his work can not only be seen across the United Kingdom but as far afield as Dubai and Canada.  Mohammed Ali at work in Sydney "It is graffiti, the most Western art form you can think of, together with Islamic script. Looking at it you wouldn't see any clash - it's taking the best of both those worlds. "I am using street art as a medium to bring people together, to achieve an understanding of each other. I always try to make it clear that Muslims and Islam are two different things, and what some Muslims do is not necessarily Islam."  Stocking up on paints The eternalInvited and sponsored by the British Council Australia - as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival, which is primarily sponsored by the State Government - Mohammed began his Australian artistic debut in Sydney, where he gave a striking demonstration of his unique blend of street art and Islamic sacred text to students at the Al-Ghazzali Centre in Lakemba; producing a four-by-two-metre painting that features the Sydney Harbour Bridge with the Arabic phrase "As-Samad", Arabic for "the eternal". The work was donated to the Australian Catholic University as an interfaith gift.  Sydney Harbour Bridge Mohammed was then welcomed with open arms in Melbourne where he worked on a 30ft high mural in the city's heart with the Muslim women's group Crooked Rib, as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival. Melbourne graffiti"It’s an honour to be here in Melbourne creating murals for a city that has similar issues that any major city with diverse communities has.  Melbourne mural "I think it’s great that the City of Melbourne and the British Council have supported me as a street artist. Street art here in Melbourne is unlike anywhere else I've seen in the world, with official city tours and school visits to these colourful laneways full of graffiti art," he said. Using the words of the Prophet Muhammad, the Melbourne mural adapted a water-saving theme, in keeping with drought measures in place across the country. The work was later donated to a local charity. You can see more of Mohammed’s work at: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites last updated: 04/11/2008 at 17:00 SEE ALSOYou are in: Birmingham > Faith > Features > Doodling Down Under 
Podcast[an error occurred while processing this directive] |
| | About the BBC | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy |
