Syed Saleem Arif Quadri, MBE, MA (RCA) Artist/Curator.
Born in 1949, India
Based in London, England
One of my earliest recollections is of my mother painting on circular support/format in oils and her interest in ‘Nature’, which had a stimulating impact on my young mind.
I came to England in May 1966 with my mother, Mrs Quadri, following my father, Dr Quadri (surgeon), who came in 1965
Studied at the Birmingham College of Art, 1969-1972, which was ‘a baptism of fire’ in self discovery and then at the Royal College of Art, 1972-1975, London, which cemented my vocation as an artist.
Working on Dante Alighieri ‘Inferno’, was a profound experience and culminated in visual discovery, journey and expression. A lifelong interest in travel nourished and nurtured my passion on themes, concepts and life. ‘Organic and Monumental’ compositions on paper and wood materialized; passionately questioning the rectangular format/s.
Artist’s statements: ‘Painting’ 2000; ‘Photography’ 2000; ‘Drawing into Discovery’, 2003; ‘Geometry without Gravity’, 2003; ‘Books without Boundaries’, 2010.
Selected Solo Exhibitions: “Images of Dante’s Inferno”, toured in UK & India, 1982-‘85; “Garden of Expectations”, Ipswich Museum and Winchester Art Gallery, 1986-1987; “Paintings 1986-1991”, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle & Tour, 1991-1992, “Carpet of Contemplation”, South Hill Park, Bracknell, 1992; “Birds of Breath”, Midland Art Centre, Birmingham 1993; “Garden of Grace”, Arks Gallery, London 1997; “Drawing into Discovery” (Photographs 1990-1999), Scene Gallery, New York, 2000; “Sensual Songs of Sacred Space”, The New Art Exchange, Nottingham, 2003; “Geometry without Gravity”, Shrishti Art Gallery, 2006, Hyderabad, India.
Selected Group Exhibitions: “Young Contemporaries”, Royal Academy, London, 1970; “Serpentine Gallery Summer Show 2”, London, 1981; “Hayward Annual”, London & Edinburgh 1982; “Whitechapel Open”, Whitechapel Gallery, London, 1987 & 1989; “Craven Images”, Harris Museum Preston, 1988; “Figuring out the Eighties”, Laing Art Gallery, 1988; “Ways of Seeing”, Mostyn Art Gallery, Wales, 1989; “The Other Story”, Hayward Gallery, London & Wolverhampton Art Gallery, 1989-1990; “The South of the World”, Gallery Civic D’Arte Contemporanea, Marsala, Sicily, Italy, 1990; “Canges-Sur-Mer International Exhibition”, with British Council, France, 1992; “Moving Into View”, Arts Council Collection, Royal Festival Hall, 1993; “150 Anniversary Charter”, Oldham Museum and Art Gallery, 1999; “Cultural Ties”, “The Other Story Revisited”, Aicon Gallery, London 2010. “Asia Time’ Guangzhou Biennale, China, Dec 2015- April 2016. ‘CORPS-The Body Unbound, The Body Unbound’ The Courtauld Gallery, London 2017.
I have explored various media:
Painting,
Printmaking,
Photography,
Ceramics,
Sculpture,
Books,
Design
Drawing
Visual concepts/themes
Curatorial Projects: “Kanu Gandhi’s Mahatma”, Leicester Museum and Touring, since 1991;
Co-curated, “Folk Arts from Indian Subcontinent” 2009, and Curated Raghu Rai’s “Invocation to India” for the New Art Exchange, Nottingham, 2011 (in collaboration with Aicon Gallery, London) for Format International Photography Festival, 2011, Quad, Derby; Iniated and co-curated ‘Realism in Rawiya’ 2013 (six women photographers from Middle East), at New Art Exchange, Nottingham;
Also, preparing an exhibition of 50 framed works on paper, “Forests of Honey’ by the Mithila/Madhubani Women Painters”, from Bihar, India.
The IPO UK, registered my ‘Books without Boundaries’ cover design, May, 2010.
Selected Major Paintings: “Landscape of Longing”, Tate Collection; “Vessel of Vitality”, Cartwright Hall, Bradford; “Carpet of Contemplation”, Manchester City Art Gallery; and “Dante’s Inferno”, 40 works on paper, Government Art Collection, London.
Selected Publications & Reviews: “Young Sculptor of the Year Award”, Telegraph Magazine, 1971; “The Spirit of Tomorrow”, artist interview by Aditi De, Indian Express, May 1985 Chennai, India; “From Two Worlds”, catalogue text by Adela Solank, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, 1987; “Paintings by Saleem Arif”, catalogue text by Tony Godfrey, Newcastle Museum & Laing Art Gallery, 1991; “Seed of Celebration, Moment of Grace”, text by Prof/Dr. Sarah Wilson, Arts & the Islamic World, Issue No 24, January 1994; “The Art of Saleem Arif”, by Sue Hubbard, Third Text, Issue No 34, 1997; “Art without boundaries”, interview by Hilary Freeman, Sep/Oct 2011, MS Matters Magazine, London. ‘Asia Time Guangzhou Biennale, China, 2015; ‘Corpus the Body Unbound’, the Courtauld Gallery, London, 2017.
© Sunday Telegraph Magazine
