Aslamart

Like anyone who loves what they do he is obsessive when he paints and can’t be disturbed. ‘I am a very private and lone painter’ he says, ‘I don’t like anyone to watch over me as I paint, I am very protective over the way I paint and what techniques I use to achieve the end result. Waseem will go back to a painting over and over again until it sits right in his over critical eyes. ‘I am the most critical person of my work’ he tells us, ‘I will look at my picture for a time, if I’m not completely satisfied I will come back to it or abandon it’ My pictures are all about emotion and personal experience. I hope that my pictures will create a lasting impression, and that you receive as much pleasure from my pictures as I do.

About the Artist
Waseem began drawing when he was 8 and unusually for a young boy found the time and commitment that becoming a painter requires, he recalls his first taste of criticism at the age of just 7 when he was given constructive feedback on a picture he drew of a sailing ship. ‘I recall my teacher saying ‘That’s really impressive, I love the way you have added so much detail to the sails’. This feedback cemented his dreams of pursueing art as a hobby. This hobby was given further momentum and input by his art teacher at school, a Mr Fuller, who helped refine his drawing and perspective skills. Waseem was initially self taught, but had the pleasure of being taught by local artist Jan Reed at Gateshead College who happened to be a tutor there. He had his first solo exhibition at 15 at a local garage showroom in Whickham, Gateshead thanks to his school teacher Mr Fuller; they also both appeared in the local ‘Evening Chronicle’ who covered the exhibition

Much of his work is about his love of the eastern arts and Islamic crafts. He tries to capture its moody evocations which he does with an unusual watercolour technique. Many of his works are a reaction to political issues affecting the Middle East and his own experiences as a British Asian of Pakistani origin. He enjoys many other subjects such as cars, buildings, intricate patterns, mosques and ethnic arts.

Waseem admits that his work is unusual in its style, he also confesses to becoming disillusioned with art whilst at college, ‘I just got to the point where I thought, ‘what constitutes art?’ He is also not orthodox in his style and choice of mediums. ‘I’ll paint on pretty much anything with anything’ He laughs. He has used mediums such as emulsion, matt and silk paints, Hammerite metal paint, food colours, gloss paint, tea and even henna dye.

Like anyone who loves what they do he is obsessive when he paints and can’t be disturbed. ‘I am a very private and lone painter’ he says, ‘I don’t like anyone to watch over me as I paint, I am very protective over the way I paint and what techniques I use to achieve the end result. Waseem will go back to a painting over and over again until it sits right in his over critical eyes. ‘I am the most critical person of my work’ he tells us, ‘I will look at my picture for a time, if I’m not completely satisfied I will come back to it or abandon it’ My pictures are all about emotion and personal experience.

I hope that my pictures will create a lasting impression, and that you receive as much pleasure from my pictures as I do.