Faisal Hussain creates work that questions perceptions, undermines lazy stereotypes, and highlights missing histories and overlooked facts. Whether in music, in a gallery, or a sign outside a kebab shop, his cross-disciplinary practice is often presented in varied environments to engage with diverse audiences. Using discovered archives and personal memory as starting points, his work explores the representation and understanding of South Asian culture and identity through the media, government, communities, and individuals. His work has been cited in TV and print including the BBC, ITV, TRT, The Guardian, The National UAE, Eastern Eye, and Dazed and Confused.
The current body of work evolved in London and Birmingham as social commentary on the current climate of fear, identity, and racism and the rise of Islamophobia in the UK and Europe. His work continues to be developed with the collaboration of other artists and academics involved in critical terrorism studies, sociology, art history, and cultural policy. In his previous works, he used archives and signage to create pieces of public artwork called ‘F.light’ in Birmingham. The work bought aspects of hidden South Asian heritage and archives onto the British high street placing them specifically at the locations of the very same family businesses and other public spaces. He is currently archiving over 3000 vinyl records rescued from one of the oldest record stores in Birmingham and developing work in collaboration with other artists.
Other bodies of work are wall-mounted sculptures and landscapes created using different materials with moving images, static visual art, and photography. These pieces come from actual landscapes photographed or imagined and are created digitally, separate from the other current work. The landscapes are sculpture, light, and visual materials creating works that are about the horizon and place. Their exploration is a continuation of the practice, created and lost 20 years ago.