My project is based on researching a new art medium and new skills and techniques, getting training and exploring and experimenting with oil paints as a medium I have never used before and finally creating a collection of 5 oil paintings based on threatened coastlines of Britain due to effects of climate change. All artworks will be exhibited publicly in venues to engage wider audiences and streamed online. Artworks, with support and negotiation can be exhibited indifferent venues in Darlington. This award would help me move my practice forward by allowing me to learn, explore, create and challenge my artistic practice by learning new skills with a medium i have never used before with a theme that is important to both myself and the UK environment and future.
My work will enhance creative arts in Darlington by creating an opportunity to have a tour exhibition of the final works in different venues in Darlington from Museums, Art Galleries and community centres too. When we have the exhibition opening, that week we can connect with the community by having community workshops either in the local community centres or in the Quaker Friends House where local people can come and learn and try using the oil paintings techniques I have learnt to either experiment or create a small piece of work celebrating Darlington and what they love about the city they call home. Potentially this could be done in the exhibition venue or in the daytime before the private viewing in a community centre. This could be discussed and organised if successful as I have a great deal of experience in carrying out such community workshops.
In my general practice I started off as an acrylic painter but as an artist I always choose to challenge myself and learn new skills and work with new mediums as this opens more opportunities for work and as an artist you are able to communicate and reach wider audiences in new and different artistic languages. My work often includes nature, landscape, heritage buildings and cultural elements too. Social themes and environmental issues and issues of mental health are often explored in my practice too. The more I challenge myself, the more recognition and exhibition experiences I gain. Recent exhibitions include; Sotheby’s London, Hove Museum, Glasgow Project Ability, New Art Gallery Walsall, Ikon Gallery, Howden’s London, Christies in January 2026, Solihull High Street and Birmingham Open 2025 as well as many other exhibitions including Amsterdam.
My first degree was BSc (Hons) Psychology
My second degree was BA (Hons) Fine Art
Lastly I did my MA Fine Art
I have previously received and successfully carried out projects with much larger grants from Arts Council England (ACE) (four giant mosaics, a heritage quilt, 10 montage pieces), the Environment Agency (award to create10 public paintings), Soho House Museum to create two tapestries and Solihull Council to create a surreal heritage painting.
Many of the grants I receive are as an individual artist in projects where I organise community projects after I have created my own funded artwork. This is a great way of learning new skills, creating new art and then sharing those new skills learnt with the community as an artist led project. All the above mentioned grants I received, involved my organising self created artist led workshops and projects.
Solihull Council, Birmingham Museum Trust and the Environment Agency have all commissioned me as an artist. Apart from this many public schools, community centres and libraries have commissioned me too.
Stechford Trail, Solihull Council, Soho House Museum have all purchased my work as part of a public collection. Soho House Museum has my artwork on permanent display.
Yes ArtThief by Word Press was a blog about my exhibition and artwork by a talented writer. Lots of online platforms have curated my work including Outside In, Moseley Exchange, Direct Art Action, The Art Yard and many more.
Outside In is an online Gallery and institution aiming to provide artists like me further opportunities. My exhibitions with Sotheby’s London, Hove Museum Brighton, Glasgow Project Ability and next year’s Christie’s London is organised by them.
The only artist residency I have taken part in was a 10 day residential and exhibition in Amsterdam with Birmingham Art School which was amazing to see the works of Van Gogh and have my work exhibited in the same city.
Email: sajidaasif925@msn.com
Address: 45 Meadow View, Moseley, Birmingham, West Midlands, B13 0AP, GB
Local Authority: BIRMINGHAM WEST MIDLANDS
