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Why I create fine art portraiture of young British Asians

15 August 2018

As a young British Asian, artist Mahtab Hussain felt unrepresented by the media and forgotten by the art establishment. So he created You Get Me?, a series of portraits exploring the changing identity of young, British Asian men. What Do Artists Do All Day? follows Hussain at work on Honest With You, which focuses on women. Here he discusses four portraits from each project.

"This portrait destroys the stereotypical notions of who a British Muslim woman is. Here is a woman who clearly does not need saving, is not repressed or suppressed, a woman who is strong, powerful and dare I say sexy. She does not wear a veil, and does not need to in order to be a Muslim woman, this is her choice, all while holding a cricket bat, a symbol of British imperialism and one that she will use to beat away all the rubbish and lies told to us all about British Muslim women." Image: Black dress, blue nails, cricket bat, from the the series Honest With You, 2017 | © Mahtab Hussain
"In this portrait we see two sisters embracing. This portrait is discussing how British Muslim women are looking towards each other for support, encouraging each other to be educated, to build a career before marriage, to become independent from men. What is evident is that under such scrutiny by the press they are holding their own, with sincerity towards female solidarity and femininity." Image: Two sisters embracing, from the series Honest With You, 2013 | © Mahtab Hussain
"This portrait begins to talk about style, and how British Muslim women have found a balance with both their religious identity and western identity. Here, the turban is used not only to cover her hair but to make a statement; it works effortlessly with her pink furred top and gold watch. I can see this portrait on a billboard, advertising the clothes she is wearing, and dare I say even the car. All we need now is a logo, a stamp of approval, and a chance to feel represented by brands that have forgotten us and made us invisible." Image: Gold watch, choker, turban, from the series Honest With You, 2018 | © Mahtab Hussain
"For me this portrait begins to talk about the subtlety of being a twin. Even though you are labelled a twin, not all look alike and below the surface all are unique. Just like not every British Muslim woman adheres to one particular form of Islamic thinking, it is a religion of interpretation and one that has evolved over time across the globe. British Muslim women are nuanced, complex and individual just like twins." Image: Twins embracing, from the series Honest With You, 2018 | © Mahtab Hussain

Writing for the Financial Times, artist Mahtab Hussain said he had often asked himself why he wasn't represented in mainstream media: "I was absent, along with Asian men like me, from magazines, on television, advertising campaigns, billboards. I wanted my brown people to be seen, reflected, and to be positioned in society. I wanted to walk into a museum and a gallery and see myself on the wall.”

This isn’t documentary, this is fine art portraiture.
Mahtab Hussain

Produced over nine years, from 2008 to 2017, the project You Get Me? features portraits taken by Hussain in Birmingham, Nottingham and London. He says: “I wanted to create a visual history about my identity and my community, a community that had been seemingly forgotten by the art establishment.”

Speaking on What Do Artists Do All Day, he states that he sees himself as an artist rather than a photographer. Hussain says: “Because I’m brown, and I’m photographing brown people, it’s quite easy to position my work as documentary or reportage, as that’s all we’ve ever really been part of. So I’m trying to challenge that now and say, 'No, this isn’t documentary, this is fine art portraiture'.”

Artist Mahtab Hussain | BBC / Mahtab Hussain

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"There are two aspects to this portrait. There is unquestionably an inherent sincerity and gentleness to his pose with his hand on his chest, suggesting we should not be scared since he is allowing us to look at him, to really see him for who he is as he glances away. The portrait is not threatening; it’s gentle and has an element of calm. There is also a hint of urban fashion, a reflection of popular street culture and Asians are rarely reflected in these spaces. However, another aspect would be to say that he exemplifies, iconographically, everything that embodies extremism, as far as western consciousness is concerned, his Asian features and the beard." Image: Black cap, red Barbour and beard, from the series You Get Me?, 2012 | © Mahtab Hussain
"This portrait begins to talk about masculinity and how it forms in teenage years. The boxing reference here is of great importance. A boxer never chooses to be a boxer, it is always a way of getting out, whether that's due to poverty or dealing with anger and violence around you. Boxing is a sport where Muslims have reached the world stage with the greatest of them all, Muhammad Ali, converting to Islam by joining the Nation of Islam, a monumental moment for Muslims globally. Here was a man that articulated the struggle of all who were repressed, who charmed yet rebelled against authority. This is the man who inspired other Muslim boxers like Naseem Hamed and Amir Khan. There is a definite element here with regards to us vs them, and a reference to 'Paki bashing' in the 70 and 80s, the National Front, The British National Party and the idea that Muslims were once a weak and passive race." Image: Young boy, white boxing gloves, from the series You Get Me?, 2010 | © Mahtab Hussain
"This portrait begins to address the ‘Professional Male’. He is wearing a high-end bespoke suit, very British in design and style, but the question here is how British can this man become? Does his clothing help him assimilate into British culture or does it make him more of an ‘outsider’? His community may feel a sense of unease around him, some may consider that he has become too British, too Westernised, peacocking for the white man. The white community may be envious of his perceived success, the idea that here is a man who has taken one of our jobs and is reaping the rewards. But there is more. His arms have been slightly widened apart to look as if he has been handcuffed, that no matter what he wears, how he presents himself he will always have that extra stop and search at the airport, swabbed for potential explosives, always be seen as a threat to British society, a criminal and a potential terrorist." Image: Green chalk stripe suit, from the series You Get Me?, 2017 | © Mahtab Hussain
"In this portrait we see friends eating together, breaking bread, using only their hands. You can see these two men are close friends as they are mirroring each other, reflecting the harmony in their relationship. You can also see that one of the men is wearing traditional dress, with his cool trainers and rolled up red Western trousers. It works here, there is nothing conflicting in this image, and everything has an equal balance. It begs the question, can Western culture and Islam fit as well as their clothes and the chips with curry sauce?" Image: Friends, curry sauce'n'chips, from the series You Get Me?, 2012 | © Mahtab Hussain

What Do Artists Do All Day? Mahtab Hussain is on BBC Four at 7.30pm on Wednesday 15 August and will be available on BBC iPlayer for 30 days.

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