Ferha Farooqui

My paintings and prints attempt to chronicle the changing urban landscape of East London. Some works are compositions based on observations of everyday urban experiences. Other works comprise a series of 'timescapes' - portraits of the disappearing landmarks and shifting communities of Newham, in East London, the place where I have lived since the early 1970s. The blue buildings depicted are shadows of lost buildings (libraries, churches and other civic spaces) and likewise the blue figures are characters who once walked the same streets. They mingle with contemporary populations.

These works are characterised by attention to detail, vivid colour and an intentional technique drawn from using multiple layers of transparent glaze, which enables luminous colour to be provided. I also use large and small-scale lino cut prints to explore different aspects of urban drama. My work has been shown at the 2021 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and commissioned by the City of London Corporation.

I trained as a painter and printmaker at Winchester School of Art.

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2021 - ‘Reclaiming Magic’ – selected by Yinka Shonibare

Gustavo Bacarisas Gallery, Gibraltar - 'Being with trees' - Group Exhibition between The Aborealists and members of The Urban Contemporaries - January - March 2021

Bermondsey Project Space, London - 'Being with trees' - Group Exhibition between The Aborealists and members of Urban Contemporaries - January 2021

Art Pavillion, Bow, London - 'From the earth to the sky’- Group Exhibition - Art Pavillion, Bow, E3 - 2019

Lumen Gallery, London - ‘Paintings for city dwellers’ - A two-person exhibition with Frank Creber, 2019

Espacio Gallery, East London– March 2019 'Urban Contemporaries – painting the urban experience’ The first exhibition by the Urban Contemporaries – co-curators Ferha Farooqui and Frank Creber - https://urbancontemporaries.weebly.com

Dulwich Picture Gallery - Open Exhibition - Sept to October 2014 - 2nd prize winner