The ‘Shut Up & Show Me’ Gremlin
I’ve got some paintings, poems and pictures for you.
All the good stuff.
Straight into it.
No filler.
What I’m painting/
working on:
" T H E J U M M A H D R I P "
The ‘Jummah Drip’ is a painting & spoken word series about the life of a Muslim millennial as told from the first person perspective. Themes include U.K. identity, code-switching, faith, love and commodification.
The idea behind the name ‘Jummah Drip’ is a nod to the clothes worn to Jummah prayers at the mosque in London (think air maxes under white gowns). It is a reference to the way that my generation of UK creatives code-switch between faith and fitting in. The poems range from emotional and heavy, to light and jokey.
These are just a few of the collection, but I want to let you in on the first step with these raw paintings and words.
I’m working on getting the audio of me narrating the poems to lay over a video that sits with each artwork. Think 3 min long music video brining together spoken word, art direction and painting.
JUMMAH DRIP, 2022, Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 60"
I see you baby
White thobe, air maxes
Looking all attractive
Jummah drip. Take a sip
Code switching in between.
Friday morning suckle on the sunnah
Pay respects to your mother.
Slip into the angel child
‘Yes mums’ and a closed lip smile.
Friday night hold back the judgement
A sucker for love, no poppa for direction.
Unshackle the beast, release the tension
What would Mamma say now? What’s with all this nonsense?
A UK soul, you contradict in all the right places
Heart and hype, you want every shade of desire.
You left your dean on the dance floor
You picked it back up now you want more.
Sickly sweet like a humbug treat
You caught your swag in my teeth.
Aries arise. Two worlds intertwine
I see you akhi. Now go’head and shine.
-Karimah
MIDAS IN REVERSE, 2022, Acrylic on Canvas, 60 x 48"
What if all that touches this skin turns to solid gold?
Midas in reverse from the inside out.
Like kintsugi from the start
An alchemist of the heart.
What if the nectar of true north chases me down
And creeps inside these bones?
Oozing from the cracks from the tips to the skull
Cause when you squeeze this lemon
I drip solid gold
Drink it in sips
Gobble it in bricks
18 bars
24 carrot
Solid gold
From the inside out
Gold leaking through flesh-Karimah
FOUR GENS FOR GENS, 2022, Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 60"
Our grandparents ran.
So our parents could build.
So that we may heal.
And you may transcend,
The human race.
For all.
Four generations for generations.-Karimah
And lastly, some close up teasers & moments of the other paintings
Till next time you beautiful beast,
K X
