In this activity you can create your own artwork online using Shemza Digital Art. Anwar Jalal Shemza is the inspiration of this platform who came to the UK from Pakistan in the 1950s.
In 1962, Anwar Jalal Shemza created the painting ‘One to Nine and One to Seven’. Anwar created this painting as a reaction to one of his art school lecturers. The teacher described Islamic art as ‘purely functional’ and dismissed all art by Islamic artists. Understandably, Anwar felt this comment was a denial of his heritage. From this point he decided to focus his art on ‘the basics’ of a circle and a square.
Inscribed in Urdu on the painting was the quote “one circle, one square, one problem, one life is not enough to solve it”.
In the Shemza Digital platform Aphra Shemza and Stuart Batchelor use ‘One to Nine and One to Seven’ as a starting point to continue Shemza’s exploration, by creating a new online and interactive artwork, they ask the public to join them on this journey creating art that is free & accessible to all.
All contributions to the online platform will be stored in an online archive and will be turned into real life light art installations in the future.
Aphra’s previous work
Aphra Shemza uses light and technology to create her art.
What to do
Have a go at making your own art in the style of Anwar Shemza. The project will run until 2022. Once the project is over Aphra and her team will use all the artwork in the digital archive to create a real life exhibition. This exhibition could include parts or inspiration from your digital painting!
This helpful video gives a little more information on how to use the painting application
