Stay Signed In
Do you want to access your site more quickly on this computer? Check this box, and your username and password will be remembered for two weeks. Click logout to turn this off.
Stay Safe
Do not check this box if you are using a public computer. You don't want anyone seeing your personal info or messing with your site.
Muhammad Ali is a Birmingham, England-based artist. He combines the timelessness of Islamic calligraphy with the modern street art of graffiti to create works of art on canvas. His works have been seen at exhibits all over England.
KC: So Ali, despite having a famous name of a certain boxer how did you get started as an artist?
MA: I always did art since I was young, at school and college. I studied the history of art, and was considering studying fine art and university, but then I came to my senses! I used to be into graffiti when I was young, when it was exploding in the eighties. I did it for my art projects, but my art teacher used to hate it. After studying the lives of artists, I got disillusioned with being an artist, I thought what's the point, its all a waste of time.
I wanted to do something with my life, not be an artist. So I went to studying Multimedia Design at uni. I did graphic design and video and all that kinda stuff. I thought, at least this art could get me a job.
Anyway, I eventually got experimented with graffiti and Arabic and got back into the art world. But this time I felt my art could serve a purpose. Educating people, selling my work and donating to charity.
KC: Graffiti art, which is admired by some and hated by others, is a somewhat controversial form of art. Some say it is an under recognized form of art while others say that is simply vandalism. How do people react to your Urban Islamic Art? Do their perceptions change?
MA: Well, doing this stuff is really exciting, cos its breaking a lot of barriers. I'm dealing with something pretty controversial here. We have a double negative: we have this graffiti, and we have the Muslims! Mix the two and you've got something pretty crazy! So with my art I'm gaining recognition as graffiti as an accepted art form, as well informing people that Muslims can be creative and regular people. not just the mad people they show you on TV.
KC: How does Islam play a role in your work?
MA: Islam is the focus for everything. I am not an artist who happens to be Muslim. I'm a Muslim first and foremost who uses art as a tool. Just like how people are out there doing talks and lectures, informing people what Islam is really about. I do the same just through visuals.
KC: You have chosen to take some traditional aspects of Islamic art and give it a contemporary twist. How do Muslims react to your work? I imagine that younger Muslims can definitely relate...
MA: Muslims are really into the style. Its something refreshing for them. We all have gold framed pictures of Makkah, and holy places in our homes. But this is something different. We as Muslims born and bred in the West are influenced by our society. We need something fresh and innovative. We as Muslims should be progressive. The kids see graffiti all around us, they see music and the Western lifestyle, movies, Play Station all of this. Basically I am trying to bring forth something which has influence from this society, but has a deep spiritual influence. something which will inspire us to remember Allah, instead of this world
KC: You are also a web designer. When did your interests in the arts begin?
MA: I'm into digital art, I take photos of things around me, I take inspiration from browsing funky websites, playing video games. scanning books and magazines, billboards on the street. I never went to libraries to read about art, that wasn't me. I took inspiration from what's around me.
KC: Also see that you are tackling some current issues in your work. You have a painting entitled "Hijab". Does that have anything to with the hijab ban in France or is it an appreciation for one of Islam's most visible symbols?
MA: Well a bit of both really. Yes, hijab is in the spotlight at the moment, with all that's happening and the negativity, people thinking hijab is something forced upon women. I wanted to bring hijab as a positive symbol. I wanted to represent the Muslim woman in my work, so people see what hijab is really about, maybe through description or some kinda explanation.
KC: You have also used your art to teach others about Islam and to donate to charity, such as earthquake relief in Iran. How can other aspiring Muslim artists use their art in service of Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) and their communities
MA: Well I'd say any other Muslim artists who are doing art for the sake of doing art- what the heck for? what is the point? It's a waste of time and you're probably gonna face a lot of fitna having to deal with figurative imagery anyway. So it's all good that artists use their art as a dawah tool, and raising money for charity- I think that's the only way 'cos otherwise the art is just a waste of time.
KC: And finally, tell me a little about this clothing line that you are starting.
MA: Ah yes, this is something I've been working on for a while now. Basically its an urban/Islamic clothing line I'm starting up. Its gonna be modest clothing and will come under salamclothing.com and possibly moroccanman.com. But, it's something I am not able to speak about yet. I'm pretty excited about that one too and will let you know more soon insha'Allah. The clothing line is gonna be a style of like street-urban wear, but have messages from Islam, maybe hadeeth, statements about peace etc etc. But the style has to be bang on, I've seen too many Islamic style western clothing alternatives but they never really didn't anything for me, so I want to launch this one proper.
