‘The Event’. Image courtesy of the artist.
Artist, Urban Designer/Consultant, and teacher, Mahmud Manning, has had work and education links with the Bradford district since 2005.
His first degree was a BA Hons. Fine Art (Painting) from the Camberwell School of Art and Crafts, London, graduating in 1988. Mahmud subsequently gained a MA Visual Islamic and Traditional Arts in 1997 from the Prince of Wales’s Institute of Architecture, London, and later a M.A. in Urban Design from Birmingham City University (2007-8), where his thesis, using Bradford as a case study, focused on the question, ‘How can cultural diversity enhance urban design?’
Additional studies have included: Archaeological Drawing (London Institute of Archaeology) 1990; Engraving and Printmaking (Morley College, London) 1991; and Hand engraving and stone setting (Guildhall University, London) 1995/1996.
Mahmud also studied Quranic gold decoration and design, 1998-1999, at the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, under the tuition of two Turkish Masters, Semih Irtes and Mamure Oz.
His work experiences has encompassed freelance Urban Design Consultancy, and work in education within Bradford schools as a teaching assistant, and outreach work with Bradford Museums and Galleries, Cartwright Hall.
Recent teaching posts, include teaching Gilding, Geometry, Methods & Materials, Biomorphic composition and site specific learning to local groups and Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, in locations: Granada, London, Jeddah, and Baku in Azerbaijan.
Image: courtesy of the artist.
Mahmud has written that:
I work with various mediums: gouache, acrylic, oil or egg tempera, usually on prepared papers, canvas linen or gesso panels.
My work aims to discover and highlight a connection between the astronomy of the night sky and geography of place. This is linked and unified by geometry, our ‘Earth Measure’ as a visual mathematic experience which confirms the astronomic observation.
Image: courtesy of the artist.
Mahmud’s own artwork has been widely exhibited in both solo, group shows and touring exhibitions in the UK, Jordan, and Italy. These include: locally at Cartwright Hall; in London at the V&A, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, Ar-Rum Gallery, and Bruce Castle Museum; The Guildhall Museum, Norwich; Apna Arts Gallery, Nottingham; Balqa Gallery, Jordan. Lumen Group Residency and Show, Atina, Italy, and at The Crypt, London in 2016.
He has been the recipient over the years of prizes and travel grants for his work, including the 1995 Prize for ‘Excellence in the Islamic Arts’, awarded by HRH Prince Ghazi ben Muhammed, Jordan. He has wriiten of the impact of these studies on his artwork:
I travelled to Florence on a small scholarship 20 years ago to view the collection of works within the Uffizi Gallery, especially the painting of ‘Primavera’ by Alessandro Botticelli. I revisited the painting again in 2016 and re-connected the painting to a cosmological inclusion to the city; an exploration imagining the fugures within Botticelli’s painting across the horizon of the city as planets and stars. It is a work of love and celebration in preparation for future studio work which is in process.
Mahmud has also been instrumental in establishing foundations to promote the arts, and good building practice, these are: (2004 ) founded and established ‘The Zambezi Voluntary Service’ to promote building practice and well-being in Zambia; (1998) founded ‘Ottoman Nakish-Hane’ , Ottoman House of the Arts, Norwich, UK; and (1991) Co-Founded Derby City Artists.
He was the winner of the 2019 Open Competition at Cartwright Hall for his ink and gold leaf artwork, ‘The Event 2’, which was an exploration of planets and their alignment within Virgo and Leo over the cities of Al Quds, Madinah Munawarah & Mecca Mukaramah.
Artist’s website: Mahmud Manning