RAFIA HUSSAIN KAMEL of MAHEL Rafia is a London born artist. She studied at the University of Westminster, in Harrow. From as early as she can remember, she has loved art. Islam has fuelled her interest in calligraphy and modern Islamic art and architecture. She likes to mix modern techniques and mediums with traditional calligraphy styles. What started as an interest soon grew and she, together with a friend started MAHEL in 2003 and they began to produce Islamic art and cards.As well as traditional paint and canvas, she has produced works on different formats including digital art, such as posters which have proved popular, Glass art that incorporates calligraphy on glass with a contemporary feel, and greeting cards and decorative gift items. She has also taken on business design for several organisations worldwide that have required Islamic derived Corporate Logos. www.mahel.co.uk and www.rafiahussain.co.uk

  Mohammed Ali, a 27 year old British-born Muslim takes his form of art from the streets to public exhibitions, bringing a positive twist to the oft-used term, ‘clash of civilisations’. His work bridges the past with the present, as well as combining culturally defined art forms. Mohammed Ali takes his inspiration from the modern urban-art of graffiti and weaves it together with the grace and eloquence of Islamic Arabic calligraphy. The fascinating resemblance between the two is that both art forms are non-figurative with the focus being primarily upon the written word. It results in a form dubbed as ‘Urban Spiritual Art’. The rediscovery of Islam lead to the Qur’an becoming Mohammed’s primary inspiration as well as the desire to make change through art within society. Much of Mohammed’s work depicts universal principles such as Peace, Knowledge and Patience; concepts which are appreciated by people of all faiths and cultures.www.aerosolarabic.com

Taslim Rashid is the founder of Tranquilart: a personal arts project. She began this in 2003 under the artist name Bint-eh Adam meaning Daughter of Adam whilst continuing her job teaching adults recovering from mental illness.Tranquilart asserts itself on promoting work done with hands and uses the concept of a butterfly; the universal metaphor for change. Many philosophers cite the association of 'Divine Grace' with actions done by hands. The direct surface interaction eliminates barriers between internal thoughts and their external environment. Taslim uses acrylics, pastels, stitch and beadwork on canvas.www.tranquilart.com

Umer Murtaza is a 27-year-old artist, resident in London and professionally practising to become a pharmacist. He is currently preparing material for his first Islamic art exhibition. Whilst preserving the traditional facets of Islamic art, i.e., the word, geometry and order, the final form of the work is ultimately dictated by the idea itself - ideas on God, life, spirituality and science.

Jamil Ahmed’s love for the art form followed down his ancestral line from his great grandfather. Much of his work is derived from the Sacred Qur'anic text. It is his conviction that Islamic art can help towards bridging misunderstanding about Islam and he is delighted to be a part of that bridging process.Jamil’s work has a touch of classic Islamic calligraphy fused with European contemporary style. Over the years he has produced numerous pieces of work mainly for private clients along with public exhibitions. In March 2006, Jamil was awarded the Muslim News "Alhambra award for excellence in the Arts".www.jamilarts.com.

Samsul Islam is a Greater Manchester based graphic artist who presents his artwork through his website Mu’min Designs. Mu’min in the Arabic language means a believer. Samsul decided to utilise his flair for creative design taking inspiration from the religious, cultural and spiritual literature and poetry of the Islamic world. Most of the artist’s artwork revolves around verses from the Holy Qur’an or a single word with a significant meaning in Islam.Further Inspiration is taken from the traditional calligraphy, geometry and architecture of the buildings seen on visits to the colourful city of Istanbul and the Alhambra Palace, Granada, Spain; he began to create contemporary designs based on the visual richness of his experiences there.www.mumindesigns.com

Modasar Rasul’s interest in photography started when he accompanied photographer Peter Sanders just after the war in Kosova where he was based for 6 months as a relief worker in 1999. Although he always appreciated photography he never really knew about the ‘Art of capturing Light’ as Peter Sanders put it. He started taking photos of people, architecture and landscapes. He undertook a photo essay to document the suffering of Chechen refugees which opened his eyes to a new episode of photography (reportage). Modasar has also travelled to many parts of the Muslim world taking photos along the way. He has developed a fascination with old doors and natural pathways, signifying openings and opportunities, the journey of life and our personal inner spiritual journey. In an average lifetime our eyes may see over 24 million images. His inspiration comes from wanting to remember some of them.

Mazzy Malik is a graffiti artist. Graffiti developed towards the end of the 1970s in New York and Philadelphia where artists painted their names (‘tags’) on walls or in subway stations. With hip hop, graffiti entered almost every Western and Western-influenced country and has now started to edge out further afield. Mazzy’s writing is in Arabic with a graffiti style. She has been greatly influenced by the hip-hop scene and street culture in the UK; her pictures are a kind of comical typography that outlines together with bright colours. Mazzy’s work is a creative expression of herself through a fusion of the art (graffiti) that inspires her and the language (Arabic) of her faith.www.mazzymalik.com

Samir Malik creates and presents spaces to communicate and share the power and beauty of Islam. Drawing roots from classical Islamic Art and Calligraphy as well as Western and Asian forms, his art presents Islamic concepts in a fusion between different artistic traditions utilising classical mediums: ink and paints on paper and canvas, applied with qalam and brushes. Each piece is for him a meditation on the Spirit and the teachings of Islam, teachings that guide us to live our lives sourced from peace, mercy and kindness in our relationships with fellow human beings and our environment, as well as submission to a Higher Force, the Source of all things, that works through compassion and mercy. www.samirmalik.com

Hasina Zaman’s work as a mosaic artist has deepened her faith and a continual yearning to keep reconnecting with Divine Love. Most of the mosaic she creates is influenced by the rich historical images from Islamic art and architecture. The beautiful architectural mosaics situated in Afghanistan, Turkey, Central Asia, Samarkand and Isfahan particularly move her and reflect strongly in her work.Hasina has also undertaken a number of cooperate commissions. She regularly teaches mosaic workshops, as she values the importance of passing skills and techniques of this ancient art form. Hasina reproduces images of Arabic calligraphy, geometric and floral images and looks in detail of ancient mosques and minarets and using mosaic arts to represent them as closely as possible. www.hasinazaman.com

Bilal Badat is a 19-year-old painter living in London studying Archaeology of Middle eastern and African art and architecture at SOAS. His artwork uses hand-drawing, calligraphy, painting, interior design.www.visionsofislam.blogspot.com