Regeneration

Sadia Gul Ibrahim
Basharat Khan
Find out more

About Regeneration

Regeneration – an exhibition of fine art photography, and architecturally inspired carvings exploring the theme of regeneration ran at Project Ability's CDA Gallery from 21 January – 25 February 2005.

Project Ability's Regeneration exhibition features work by Sadia Gul Ibrahim and Basharat Khan.  The exhibition focuses on the theme of regeneration but reflects the very different artistic styles and influences of the two artists. 

Both artists have been working for Project Ability as trainee arts workers in posts funded by the Scottish Arts Council.  The traineeships are funded as part of the cultural diversity implementation strategy. 

Sadia Gul Ibrahim

Before coming to live in Scotland, Sadia Gul Ibrahim trained at Rawalpindi Arts Council in Pakistan where she specialised in calligraphy, woodcarving and mixed media.

Although she has lived in the UK for four years, Sadia is still passionate about Islamic and Pakistani heritage, culture and traditions.  She continues to make work that reflects these influences and keeps them alive.  However, she is now also finding herself increasingly drawn to representing British architecture and heritage by employing the same traditional artistic tools and processes. Discussing her artistic inspiration she comments: 'I find myself inexplicably drawn to recreating centuries-old Islamic or Pakistani architectural features such as doors, doorways and arches, usually by carving on wood or leather, although more recently I have begun experimenting with clay.  I also decorate my work by carving or painting selected verses from the Quran in Islamic calligraphy using a font known as Kufiq.'

Basharat Khan

Basharat Khan from Glasgow studied photography at the Glasgow College of Building & Printing. Basharat's work involves a broad range of photographic methods, which he has developed in his own studio practice and in various community projects.  Like Sadia he too has been influenced by techniques from the past.        

Describing his work in Regeneration he explains: 'I have always been fascinated by working on alternative materials – especially those which add tones and texture that are not available with normal photographic paper.  I have been inspired by the artists from the 1850’s who first developed the process of printing on metal plates.  I wanted to recreate that feel in my images using a process that has subsequently been largely ignored.'

Basharat chose to explore various themes of regeneration after discovering discarded objects in his surroundings - in old childhood boxes, in bins, and on the street. He explains: ' These objects were hidden away and forgotten. They were deemed to be past their time and no longer of any use. It struck me how easily we move on and dismiss the old as outdated and irrelevant. I used discarded materials (wood, stone, and metal) to print my images on, achieving this by coating a light sensitive emulsion on to these recycled bases.  This is a delicate method of printing, and results are never constant, but in these times when everything is so precise, instant and exact - I wanted that thrill of the unexpected.'