There IS black in the Union Jack (From Asian Image)

There IS black in the Union Jack

4:36pm Wednesday 8th July 2009

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Being a British Muslim in today’s society has been the inspiration behind a University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) student’s showpiece work.

Nazmin Abdullah, who is a final year BA(Hons) Fine Art undergraduate, has created a range of striking paintings representing how the two cultures combine together from her personal experience.

The 21-year-old said: “I wanted to focus on cultural identity because I was brought up in England but am Muslim. I decided the most identifiable symbols to use were the Union Jack and the hijab so I could then juxtapose the two to create the strongest images possible.”

Some of her work sees a delicate female figure in a prayer stance while wrapped in a Union Jack hijab while another sees the figure clothed all in black except for the face which is painted in the red, blue and white of the United Kingdom flag.

Nazmin said: “It’s a really personal and poignant project and I feel that’s why, once I’d decided this was what I wanted to do, the images just seemed to flow.

"My family has been very intrigued by my work and wanted to know all about it while the reaction from fellow students and the tutors has been fantastic. I can’t wait to see what the general public think.”

Her work is on display at UCLan’s Arts Festival 09, the public exhibition showcasing final year students’ work from the School of Creative and Performing Arts, the Northern School of Design and the School of Journalism, Media and Communication.

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