Zarah Hussain
Cloud 10, 2012
Oil paint, gesso and MDF and vinyl
Outpatients Stairwell, Whipps Cross Hospital
(Relocated from The Royal London Hospital, 2022)
Using the full language of geometric abstraction derived from traditional Islamic Art, Hussain merges two artistic traditions linking Islamic pattern with western abstract art. She describes her practice as a visual examination of how spirituality, technology, and art connect. Her work is drawn from an interest in shapes, pattern, and colour which she fuses to produce complex spatial and optical forms. Hussain has said, "my paintings are inspired by patterns from all over the Islamic world and I am fascinated by the sense of vibration, energy and spirituality present in geometry."
Working across digital media, painting and sculpture, the artist draws on historic textiles, tiles, manuscripts, and building surfaces found in the Islamic world. She combines mathematical art references -- such as structures and tessellating patterns -- with references to the abstraction of 20th-century artists such as Victor Vasarely, Josef Albers, Mark Rothko, Agnes Martin, and Bridget Riley.
Hussain's immersive, colourful installation winds up the expansive walls of the Outpatients Stairwell, reaching up several storeys. This work was originally commissioned for a waiting area at the Royal London Hospital, which has since changed use. A decade later, this work has been relocated to Whipps Cross Hospital as part of the Vital Arts strategy to improve the clinical environment there. Cloud 10 now animates the cavernous stairwell, drawing patients, staff and visitors through the space -- offering a lively alternative to taking the lift.
About the Artist
Zarah Hussain (b.1980) lives and works in London. She has exhibited extensively in the UK, Europe, the USA and the MENASA region, including at the William Morris Gallery, London; the Barbican Centre, London, the Sharjah Museum; and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. Her work is held in many collections, and she was awarded the Lumen Prize (People’s Choice) in 2017. Hussain earned her MA in Islamic Art from the Prince’s School.
Limited edition available
Uzbek Squares, 2024
Following installation of her work in the Outpatients stairwell at Whipps Cross Hospital, Zarah Hussain has kindly created a limited edition giclee print. Proceeds from this sale will support the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust and Vital Arts Programme.
