Liaqat Rasul
Liaqat Rasul Art
Liaqat Rasul is a gay, Welsh, dyslexic Pakistani man based in London . He was born in Feb 1974 in Wrexham, North Wales. Liaqat studied fashion, gaining a first-class degreeHe spent a year in industry, working and studying in New Delhi, India. Liberty's in Regent Street, London, bought his graduating collection, and he ran the business Ghulam Sakina for ten years, creating beautiful women’s clothing before diversifying into 2D and 3D collage and sculpture. In particular, his mobile faces have become a signature series in his art practice.
The collage works are mental health stories, a visual thought process inspired by multiculturality. They’re inspired by people watching, the tough challenges of mental health and embracing the positives that come with vulnerability - the openness that makes us kind and considerate. They have a cartographic stance on initial viewing; made from old envelopes, stamped tickets, wooden coffee stirrers, misplaced printing on cardboard boxes, leftover yarn, swing tags, an old t-shirt chopped up, tatty found papers, packaging, marked with biros and felt-tip pens and stuck with PVA glue, sellotaped on to card inserts and graphics on cardboard boxes left out in the street. Their bold, odd colours and real-world experiences create unique, buoyant collage tableaux.
Making art is an act of hope. Liaqat aims to create bigger and bolder collage and sculpture and fibre works. We are all perched in a multicultural landscape of peoples, religions and ideas. Think tactile. Think analogue. Embrace your support network; we all need each other.
Testimonial
Liaqat has delivered a wide range of activities across the Craft Council’s learning and participation programme. With an emphasis on play, experimentation, and using accessible everyday materials, he creates inclusive learning environments for participants of all ages and abilities, notably for the Crafts Council’s programme for LGBTQIA+ families, giving this community a much-needed safe space to enjoy craft processes and connect with others.
- Nick Kidd, Participation Producer, Crafts Council 