He told us he was unusual in his Muslim upbringing because he liked cloth and he was gay. He talked about his influences of the Asian bride, Alhambra, West Minster Abbey, Great Mosque of Isfahan, Iran, Jonas Berger, Zweiter Tag Nights, Germaine Richier (le Diablo), Joanna Vasconcelos - Pantelmina.
His openness about his sexuality is clear from his work right from Queers Dowry - the dowry being about excess and ritual;
The boxes he passed around contained such things as chicken heads which had a rather strong odour to them. This piece was called Hen Pecked
When Nadim left Goldsmiths he was creating hand embroidered bags supported by the Princes Trust. He got a studio for £60 per month and he said he took apart everything he had learnt on his course. I can understand that. I am learning so much in a short space of time that I feel it would be beneficial to actually take a couple of years to put into practice what I've been learning.
Nadim said that open exhibitions are a good way to get your work seen. his work is large scale, sculptural with textiles. It was stunningly visual and I love to hear people who create work with a personal element that is, to some, a little controversial. Gay men in the Muslim community are not people I suspect who shout it from the rooftops and their religion is I believe is strict on this issue. But that said, I suspect no religions promote same sex relationships but the Muslim faith has had headlines about it's severity in punishing people who criticise it i.e. Salman Rushdie.
Very interesting lecture, I would love to see his work in an exhibition.
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