ARTS: Mohammed Ali and Aerosol Arabic

This is an item about Mohammed Ali, a British Muslim grafitti artist (not Muhammad Ali, the boxer - see posting on South Asians with shared names). He is about to embark on an "Arts and Islam" U.S. tour in April.

"The goal of this tour is to elucidate Islamic themes and messages
through a medium which can universally be understood and appreciated
by all. Mohammad Ali's work transcends artificial barriers such as
ethnicity, nationality, class, and perceived religious differences
which prevent us from understanding one another" said Azeem Khan,
ICNA's Assistant Secretary General.

See full press release below. On the right is photo of Ali at work. Doesn't it look like he's writing the word "SAJA" - am sure it's something else, of course.

[ press release ]

Cutting edge cultural dialogue – Acclaimed British Muslim artist teams up with Arts Council England in groundbreaking US "Arts and Islam" tour.

Mohammed Ali's unique fusion of graffiti art with Islamic
calligraphy has taken an urban art form from street walls to
galleries and spiritual art into new dimensions. His art has been
reported as a "bridge of understanding" between faith communities across the
world, and has been featured in international media ranging from CNN and
the BBC to Al Jazeera. He has showcased his work across the UK, Dubai
and Denmark and is looking forward to his first visit to the USA.

Arts Council England in partnership with the Philips Academy,
Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), along with other cosponsors presents
the Arts & Islam USA Tour featuring the acclaimed "urban Islamic"
artist, Mohammed Ali of AerosolArabic. The Arts and Islam, which
includes  will be visiting universities, arts organisations and
community bodies across Chicago, New York and Boston.

In addition to the seminars, Mohammed Ali will be producing a series
of commissioned spiritual murals, including a special mural in New
York City commemorating the tragic death of 9 Bronx children who
died in a blaze recently. Working with young people from all faith
backgrounds, Mohammed will create wall murals reflecting the
universal themes of spirituality and unity that connect people of all
backgrounds and cultures.  Mohammed has already produced a series of
stunning murals across the UK which can be seen at the official Arts
and Islam website http://www.artsandislam.com/murals

"The goal of this tour is to elucidate Islamic themes and messages
through a medium which can universally be understood and appreciated
by all. Mohammad Ali's work transcends artificial barriers such as
ethnicity, nationality, class, and perceived religious differences
which prevent us from understanding one another" said Azeem Khan,
ICNA's Assistant Secretary General.

The dates for the Arts and Islam USA programme are as follows:

Chicago:
11th-14th April

New York City:
15th April – 19th April

Boston/Massachusetts:
20th April – 22nd April

For further information visit
http://www.artsandislam.com/usatour and http://www.aerosolarabic.com

Contact (UK): Abid Hussain
Diversity Development Officer, Arts Council England
Email: info@artsandislam.com
Telephone:  00 44 (0) 7832 386 644

Mohammed Ali (AerosolArabic)
Email: ali@aerosolarabic.com
Telephone:  00 44  (0)7950 501 805

Press Contact (USA): Azeem Khan
Assistant Secretary General of Media Relations
Islamic Circle of North America
e-mail: azeem@icnait.com
Office: (718) 658-1199
Cell: (516) 369-6542

Co-sponsors:
Arts Council England
ICNA Relief USA Programs
Islamic Circle of North America
Islamic Center of NYU
Muslims Students Association of Columbia University
Muslims Students Association of University of  Illinois at Chicago
Philips Academy
Young Muslims

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