AN exhibition that combines "cutting edge digital art" with traditional hand-drawn Islamic geometry is coming to Oldham.
Artist Zarah Hussain's Light Upon Light will be on display at Gallery Oldham from Saturday, January 22.
A self-proclaimed "visual mathematician", Zarah works at the intersection of science and spirituality, mixes her childhood passion for Islamic geometry with digital technology to create interactive apps, infinitely looping animations, paintings and sculptures.
Born in Macclesfield in 1980, Zarah was following a media career when she discovered a course in visual and Islamic art run by the Prince's School of Traditional Arts in London.
Securing a paid scholarship on the strength of her portfolio, she graduated with a master's degree in 2004 and her innovative and experimental work has secured critical acclaim ever since.
Zarah Hussain
Sharjah Spectrum, a large-scale, interactive installation which allowed visitors to manipulate colours via mobile phones, featured at the Sharjah Museum's 2015 Islamic Arts Festival in the United Arab Emirates.
Zarah projected her animated geometry, Magic Carpet, on the back of London's William Morris Gallery the same year, while Numina, her large-scale sculpture with digitally-animated surface, was commissioned by The Barbican for the capital venue's foyer spaces programme.
Light Upon Light features 12 new pieces of wall-based sculpture, together with drawings and the light installation, Invisible Threads.
Zarah created Invisible Threads for the 2018 Macclesfield Barnaby Festival, with its ever-changing design and infinite colour combinations ensuring the piece constantly evolves.
Zarah Hussain's Root 2 Green design
Zarah's Root 2 Blue, Green detail 1 design
Oldham Council’s cabinet member for education and skills, Cllr Shaid Mushtaq, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Zarah’s exhibition to Gallery Oldham.
“Our team down at the Gallery have worked alongside her to create this show and it’s good that we can now share it with visitors.”
Exhibitions and collections co-ordinator at Gallery Oldham, Rebecca Hill, said: "Zarah's work traces a line from the ancient art form of Islamic geometry to the digital age, creating pieces which chime with her belief in universal connectivity.
“By blending the traditional with the cutting-edge, she has created a stunning body of work.”
Zarah's Root 5 Blue Diagonal II design
Light Upon Light is a touring exhibition produced by Gallery Oldham.
It was shown at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum from September 18 to November 13 last year and will travel to The Atkinson in Southport following its showing in Oldham.
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