For Shahed Saleem migration, identity, heritage and narrative are the common threads that weave together practice, curation, teaching and research.
Over many years of what has felt like being pulled in different directions, it now seems that the various strands of my work are starting to come together.
I founded my architectural practice in Bethnal Green in the early 2000s, and ran it for a decade or so, learning much about industry and practice along the way. During this time I began working on mosque projects and thus developed an understanding of community organisations and the role that architecture plays in articulating their cultural identities, and how new architectural meanings are made.
This work led me to explore the architecture of the mosque further, which in turn led to a commission by Historic England to research and write a book on the history of the British Mosque. The story that I found was one of creative and improvised architecture made by diasporic communities across the country.
In 2015 the workspace we were in was being sold, my business partner was moving on as well as other co-workers, and it seemed the right time to think about new directions. So, I successfully applied for a part-time teaching post at the University of Westminster and started that same year. In my design studio I continued to explore questions of migration, identity, heritage and narrative; themes which my practice work with communities was raising for real on the ground.
My research and practice came to the attention of the Victoria and Albert Museum, who acquired some of my drawings for their collection. I made work for a display in the museum in 2019 and was then invited to co-curate the V&A Pavilion at the 2021 Venice Biennale on the theme of the British Mosque.
Developing my experience with cultural and heritage organisations has led to further projects with museums as well as ongoing writing, public speaking and research. My architectural practice is much scaled down but continues with a selection of projects. I try to interlink practice and research themes, which is more possible now than when I had a larger office to run.
It’s felt like a lot of juggling, and sometimes, along the way, the parts seemed quite disconnected. But if I look back now, there have been continuous threads woven through the various facets of my work. I’ve recently realised that these interests actually go back to my student days, which is a bit disconcerting but perhaps a good thing in the end.
Shahed Saleem
London EC1
Source: Architecture Today