A FORMER Queen Anne High School pupil whose art has taken him around the world is now featuring in one of London’s biggest galleries.

Mohammed Qasim Ashfaq (32), who lived in Dempster Place growing up, studied at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen after leaving high school and went on to do a masters in painting at Slade School of Fine Art in London - which he praises for being the main platform in his art career.

His work is now in the Hayward Gallery as part of the MirrorCity exhibition on London’s Southbank, in the heart of the city.

The exhibition is all about artists living and working in the city and features a drawing, sculpture and beads from Mohammed.

Talking to the Press the artist, who still has a brother and sister living in Dunfermline, said, “Art was the only thing that I was actually good at at high school.

“Mrs Walker, Mrs Wylie and Mr Turner, they were really great at showing us examples of amazing periods of art - like the Bauhaus.

“We never really had art around the house growing up. We had a few books and Islamic objects but that was about all.

“I remember this one occasion, I was allowed to go watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the condition that I did a drawing of them. So I did an exact copy and I got to watch the film.

“I see art as a way to do things, make things possible, like going away to different countries and being part of that culture - art helps facilitate that.” Mohammed has been described by top art critics as the “bold new voice” of British art.

He is known for his intricate drawings which take months to complete, as well as sculptures and installations that consist of strong geometric shapes in bold colour.

Since graduating from Slade School of Fine Art in 2008, Mohammed’s collections have been seen by thousands of people in Brisbane, Bombay, Dubai and the UK but he regards this opportunity at Hayward to be one of the biggest in his career.

He continued, “I remember visiting a gallery in Edinburgh and seeing a painting by Salvador Dali and thinking, even back when I was in school, that art can change the way you feel and it can help you understand things.

“The painting that really stood out for me and stimulated me was The Impressions of Africa – I just looked at it and felt it really broke into the third world and changed my way of thinking.

“Ultimately that is what art is about and what I want to do.

“By being part of this exhibition my art will be able to reach more people, all different types of people of all ages.

“It will be able to reach people that may have not come across the studio I work with in Peckham so it is a great opportunity.

“On the opening of the exhibition I got speaking to school pupils and they really loved my work and we had a conversation for about 15 minutes which I thought was just amazing to inspire children to talk about art and its meaning.” Mirror City is about perception and the alternative realities created by artists and where the digital and physical space cross over.

It presents artworks covering a wide variety of media including painting, film and video, sculpture, drawing, sound and performance.

The exhibition also addresses the effect of digital media on our experiences.

Mohammed continued, “My collection was ready at the perfect time when it was noticed – I only knew six weeks before that I had been chosen.

“It is just wonderful being part of something like this and meeting the other artists.”