Gazelli Art House is delighted to announce the first solo show of works by a British artist Saad Qureshi. From the 2nd November, the gallery will display Qureshi’s new series of sculptures entitled other crescents other moons as well as accompanying works on paper.

Other crescents other moons is an innovative ongoing series consisting of landscapes based on individual memories. When visiting a new place, Qureshi posts an advertisement asking individuals to donate a written or verbal memory, which he then interprets into a landscape. When reproducing these landscapes, Qureshi skilfully weaves his own vision onto the memory without interfering with its content. As such, the origins and ownership of the memory is called into question, leading the viewer to explore the nature of perception and reality. As Qureshi states: “Many of us have left a certain place or even homeland behind, the vividness of which is etched in our memories. With other crescents other moons I will capture these memories, side by side, creating a continuum.”

Many of Qureshi’s ‘memory’ landscapes are presented inside a part of reclaimed furniture such as drawers and cupboards. This makes the storing of the memories more physically tangible as they are contained within a framework usually reserved for possessions. However, the landscapes remain just out of our reach as they are neither entirely fictitious nor based on reality.

On the ground floor of the gallery will be Qureshi’s largest installation and the centrepiece of the exhibition -­‐ an enormous spiralling tower covered in miniature ‘memory’ landscapes that will loom above the viewer. Taking its origins from the biblical story ‘The Tower of Babel’ the work is a conceptual rather than literal interpretation of this historical building. Both ends of the spiral are serrated and hollow leading the viewer to believe that the work is either mid construction or deconstruction, thus highlighting the apocalyptic undertones of the piece. In our ‘post Babel’ world, Qureshi seeks to remind us that beyond language exists the unity of collective consciousness, thus highlighting the importance of universal values and beliefs. Striking on psychological, cultural, social, religious and historical levels, Qureshi’s work brings the concept of belonging and united identity, to the forefront.

The haunting quality of the sculptures is echoed in the carbon drawings, which juxtapose the geometric patterns common to the Islamic art tradition with representational images that are more Western in their nature. The drawings have borders, which resemble those on Islamic prayer rugs, but contain sinister imagery such as barbed wire and detached wings. Melancholic to some, radiating hope to others, these works can be perceived as a playground for ideas on the topics Qureshi raises.