Nasser Azam
Encyclopedia
Nasser Azam is a British
contemporary artist, living and working in London.
, Pakistan in 1963, and moved to London
with his parents in 1970. He began painting seriously in 1980, and in the same year embarked on a business degree at the University of Birmingham
. By 1983, his reputation as an artist of considerable talent had been established through a number of exhibitions in Birmingham
and the West Midlands, including the The Barber Institute of Fine Arts. That year he also featured in a BBC
documentary.
In 2007, after an extended period living and traveling in Japan, America and Europe, Azam became Artist-in-Residence at the County Hall Gallery, mounting a major exhibition of early and recent work. Subsequent exhibitions included the 'Anatomica' series of paintings, made from illustrations taken both from fashion
magazines and medical textbooks. Sculptural work has notably included the large bronze
sculpture The Dance, unveiled on the South Bank on 21 February 2008. Recent sculptural projects have included work for the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, in Dublin.
Azam's expressive semi-abstract
style of painting has been compared with that of Willem de Kooning
. His paintings show the human figure encoded in bio-morphic forms and gestural marks, and typically use a restricted but intense palette. The semi-natural, perforated appearance of his sculpture has given rise to comparisons with the work of twentieth-century sculptors such as Archipenko, Hans Arp and Henry Moore
.
Azam is also active as an entrepreneur in the art world. In 2009 he launched The Azam Collection, an investment fund for contemporary art, to invest in, mentor and exhibit the work of younger artists. In 2010 Azam purchased the Morris Singer
Art Foundry, the oldest bronze foundry in the United Kingdom, and relaunched it as the Zahra Modern Art Foundry.
while he completed two new triptychs, Homage to Francis Bacon: Triptych I and Homage to Francis Bacon: Triptych II.
Azam's 'Life in Space' series of paintings was exhibited in London in Spring 2009.
In February 2010 Azam conducted an artistic expedition to Antarctica, where he endured extreme weather conditions to produce 13 large abstract oil paintings responding to different Antarctic landscapes, including ice lakes, ice caves, glaciers and ice deserts. Azam prepared for the Antarctica trip with a series of artistic trials in the freezers at Billingsgate Fish Market
. The expedition was accompanied by a cameraman to document the mission.
On his return Azam continued elaborating the motifs discovered in Antarctica, in particular with a series of works on paper using maps of the Antarctic continent.
(CINI UK).
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
contemporary artist, living and working in London.
Biography
Nasser Azam was born in JhelumJhelum
Jhelum or Jehlum may refer to:* Jhelum, a city in Pakistan on the banks of the Jhelum River* Jhelum District, an administrative division in Punjab, Pakistan surrounding the city of Jhelum...
, Pakistan in 1963, and moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with his parents in 1970. He began painting seriously in 1980, and in the same year embarked on a business degree at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
. By 1983, his reputation as an artist of considerable talent had been established through a number of exhibitions in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and the West Midlands, including the The Barber Institute of Fine Arts. That year he also featured in a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary.
In 2007, after an extended period living and traveling in Japan, America and Europe, Azam became Artist-in-Residence at the County Hall Gallery, mounting a major exhibition of early and recent work. Subsequent exhibitions included the 'Anatomica' series of paintings, made from illustrations taken both from fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
magazines and medical textbooks. Sculptural work has notably included the large bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
sculpture The Dance, unveiled on the South Bank on 21 February 2008. Recent sculptural projects have included work for the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, in Dublin.
Azam's expressive semi-abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
style of painting has been compared with that of Willem de Kooning
Willem de Kooning
Willem de Kooning was a Dutch American abstract expressionist artist who was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands....
. His paintings show the human figure encoded in bio-morphic forms and gestural marks, and typically use a restricted but intense palette. The semi-natural, perforated appearance of his sculpture has given rise to comparisons with the work of twentieth-century sculptors such as Archipenko, Hans Arp and Henry Moore
Henry Moore
Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....
.
Azam is also active as an entrepreneur in the art world. In 2009 he launched The Azam Collection, an investment fund for contemporary art, to invest in, mentor and exhibit the work of younger artists. In 2010 Azam purchased the Morris Singer
Morris Singer
Morris Singer is a British art foundry, established in 1848, famous for its sculptures, including Eros, the lions at Trafalgar Square and the doors to the Bank of England, plus also the figures of Henry Moore....
Art Foundry, the oldest bronze foundry in the United Kingdom, and relaunched it as the Zahra Modern Art Foundry.
'Performance Painting' Project 2008-10
Many of Azam's works during the period 2008 to 2010 were made as part of the 'performance painting' project. His purpose was to find the most extreme conditions in which to make paintings, and to use a work of art to document the moment and location in which it was made. In July 2008 Azam embarked on Life In Space, the first major painting 'performance'. Aboard a specially modified ILYUSHIN 76 MDK parabolic aircraft, Azam experienced totally weightless conditions similar to those in spaceSpace
Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
while he completed two new triptychs, Homage to Francis Bacon: Triptych I and Homage to Francis Bacon: Triptych II.
In February 2010 Azam conducted an artistic expedition to Antarctica, where he endured extreme weather conditions to produce 13 large abstract oil paintings responding to different Antarctic landscapes, including ice lakes, ice caves, glaciers and ice deserts. Azam prepared for the Antarctica trip with a series of artistic trials in the freezers at Billingsgate Fish Market
Billingsgate Fish Market
Situated in East London, Billingsgate Fish Market is the United Kingdom's largest inland fish market. It takes its name from Billingsgate, a ward in the south-east of the City of London, where the riverside market was originally established...
. The expedition was accompanied by a cameraman to document the mission.
On his return Azam continued elaborating the motifs discovered in Antarctica, in particular with a series of works on paper using maps of the Antarctic continent.
Sculpture
- On 10 February 2010 Azam's monumental sculpture, The Dance was moved from the County Hall Gallery to London's most prestigious new hotel, Park Plaza Westminster BridgeWestminster BridgeWestminster Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames between Westminster on the north side and Lambeth on the south side, in London, England....
. - Azam's monumental bronze sculpture Sepian Blue was exhibited at Sculpture in Context, Ireland's largest exhibition of public sculpture held at the Botanic Gardens outside Dublin, and is now part of the Botanical Garden's permanent collection and displayed at the entrance to the gardens.
- As part of the nationwide Big Dance 2008 event the County Hall Gallery hosted an outdoor dance event on Sunday 6 July 2008. 'Sculpture in Motion' was a physical response to Azam's sculpture 'The Dance' on the South Bank.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
- Azam: Antarctica - London Underground & Tokyo Subway,11th to 25th April 2011
- Colour over Form, County Hall Gallery, London, 5 June to 27 September 2009
- Life in Space, County Hall Gallery, London, 16 January to 29 April 2009.
- Azam Painting and Sculpture, Istanbul, Contemporary Art Fair, October 2008.
- Paintings and Bronzes, County Hall Gallery, London, August to September 2008
- Anatomica, County Hall Gallery, London, Summer 2008.
- Azam Retrospective, County Hall Gallery, London, Autumn 2007.
- Recent Works, The University of Aston, West Midlands, UK, 1983.
- The View, The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham, UK, 1983.
- "Summer and Winter Exhibitions" Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, 1983
- Nasser Azam, University of Birmingham, UK, 1982.
Works in Auction
- Somatic Fields: Peripheral Peripheral I, 2007, sold for 58,850 GBP at Christies, 1 July 2010.
- Homage to Francis Bacon: Triptych I sold for 332,500 USD at Philips de Pury Contemporary Art auction in New York on 14 November 2009.
- Intricate Requiem I sold for 80,000 Euros on 10 October 2009 in The Sovereign European Art Prize auction at Somerset House, London.
Public Appearances
- In October 2009 Azam participated in the debate 'Art: what's it good for?' chaired by Michael Portillo and part of the LCACELCACEThe London Centre for Arts and Cultural Exchange is a university initiative promoting the exchange of knowledge and expertise with the capital's arts and cultural sectors. The initiative was formed in 2004 to encourage collaboration between its partner universities and London's arts and cultural...
Inside Out Festival. - In September 2009 Azam participated in Liliane Lijn's contemporary art performance piece Power Game at the Institute of Contemporary ArtsInstitute of Contemporary ArtsThe Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
, London.
Philanthropy
Nasser Azam is a patron of the British branch of Child In Need IndiaChild In Need Institute (CINI)
CINI, known internationally as Child In Need India and in India as the Child In Need Institute, is an international humanitarian organisation aimed at promoting "sustainable development in health, nutrition and education of child, adolescent and woman in need" in India...
(CINI UK).