“Creating these pieces is an act of Devotion in itself.”

Guided by the Qur’an and Islamic tradition, I create art that celebrates a rich religious and cultural heritage.

I have throughout my life been seeking some form of expression for my faith. It is in painting however where I have found a way to express my devotion, and it is to art that I owe a debt of gratitude for awakening and maturing my faith in a way that I didn't know was possible.

I did not set out to be an artist. I started painting when my children were young, mostly for myself, a bit of time that was just mine. I had no formal training as a visual artist. I painted pieces as gifts, and later to raise money for charity. It was never a plan.

The moment that changed things was almost accidental. A volunteer at Great Ormond Street Hospital saw one of my pieces and suggested it for their newly built multi-faith room. That was the first work I ever sold. I had not been trying to build a career. It just happened, quietly, through someone else seeing something in the work that I had not thought to put a name to.

People ask how long a painting takes. The answer is about 25 years. I have painted almost every day since my children were small. What you see on the canvas took a few days to make. What made it possible took much longer.

"Siddiqa Juma's painting in the multi-faith room at Great Ormond Street Hospital has a capacity to reflect the mystery of the spiritual and draws the viewer into a relationship with the image. By using the name of Allah in one of the specific colours, the integrity and depth of the faith are reflected in a way that interacts rather than imposes.”

Reverend Jim Linthicum, Great Ormond Street Hospital

What people have told me since is what keeps me painting. They say that when they grew up, the Islamic art they knew was traditional calligraphy, photographs of mosques, images of places of worship. Beautiful, meaningful things. But when they had their own homes and wanted to bring something of their faith onto their walls, they wanted something that also felt like them. Something that spoke of their beliefs and their traditions but also of the world they actually live in now. Something contemporary. Something that could sit in a modern home and still say something true.

They tell me they want pieces they can talk about with friends. Works that invite a question rather than give an answer. Pieces where the viewer brings their own meaning, and where they notice something new each time they look.

That is what I try to make. And the fact that people feel that way about the work is something I am genuinely grateful for. Alhamdulillah. I feel incredibly privileged to still be doing this.

Exhibitions

Over the years, I have been fortunate to exhibit my work in a number of group and solo shows. A selection of exhibitions is listed below.

Hajj exhibition (London)
Solo exhibition Saudi creative initiative (Jeddah)
Global Islamic Economy (Dubai)
Solo Tawaaf exhibition Akaas Gallery (Dubai)
Venice biennale (Italy)
Macfest British Muslim Heritage Centre (Manchester)
John Lewis Westfield (London)
The Television Centre (London)
Art and Faith (Cambridge university)
Saatchi art gallery (London)
Concordia Islamic art Exhibition (Canada)
Solo Islamic Art Exhibition House of Lords, (London)
Solo Islamic Art Exhibition Synergy Art Hub (Riyadh)
Escher in the palace group (The Hague Netherlands)