Shafaqna English- Shahed Saleem’s exhibition presents colourful tapestries depicting pivotal moments in the lives of British and European Muslims.
Artist Shahed Saleem’s exhibition I Was Born Here at the V&A East Storehouse in London features large tapestries linking British Muslim communities to Europe’s Islamic history. The works address rising xenophobia and anti-immigrant politics by juxtaposing historical events, such as the 1492 Spanish Inquisition and Christopher Columbus’s voyage, with modern realities like the UK’s “Hostile Environment” policy and the murder of Altab Ali in 1978. Set beneath a 536-year-old Spanish roof, the exhibit challenges ethnonationalist narratives, asserting the long-standing presence and belonging of Muslims in Europe.
Sources: AlJazeera