Ilyas Kassam is a UK based, Indian Ismaili Visual Artist and Poet. Drawing from Ismaili, Kufic, and Japanese calligraphic traditions, his works centres around the notion of infinity and the role language plays within the mystical experience. Ilyas is known for his large textual paintings on rice paper and canvas, that have an explosive yet meditative quality.
He is the author of Reminiscence of the Present, co-host of Karl Marx Does The Washing Up podcast, and was an exhibitor at the 2018 International Ismaili Islamic Arts Festival. His film ‘Ligare’ was screened in 2018 at TSS, Time Square, New York. In 2020 His exhibition ‘The Way’ was held at the institution of Port Art and Design Tsuyama, Japan, as part of a joint show with the infamous icon, Misuzu Kaneko. In 2023 his solo exhibition ‘Every Spell Is Wet When Held Too Tightly’ was held at The Arx gallery in London, which included a film installation on Brompton Road. He has shown alongside the likes of Lim Chang Min, Ilhwa Kim, and Bisco Smith. His poetry has been widely published by The Aleph Review, New River Press, Simon and Schuster and has appeared in countless other anthologies. His painted works have gained recent acclaim due to his novel reimagining of ancient techniques.
Ilyas is a self-taught artist whose education emerged out of an immersive 5-year period of meditation and self-discovery. In 2009 he visited the Kangra valley, India, where he spent months meditating in the cave of Baba Sant Ram. This experience gave birth to a prolific period of creative and philosophical inquiry. Ever since his work has been rooted in the esoteric, and has paid reverence to mystical traditions across the world. He has since studied under shamans, learning the language of plants at Schumacher College, and journeyed to the Guangxi mountains of China, to learn calligraphy with the Langshi Shifu.
His process is autonomic, performative, and works through the natural movements of the body. With roots in Ismaili esoteric thought, he draws inspiration from expressionistic practices including the Bokujinkai and Gutai movements that emerged out of Japan in the 1950s. His practice seeks to create spaces and materials that embody a temple like theurgy, reflecting the inner architecture of his process. When speaking of his process Ilyas states that his work “emanates from a meticulous philosophy but is expressed completely thoughtlessly so as to create a juxtaposition that allows an access to the poetic - the point between the visceral and the cognitive"
His current works consist mostly of mix media on Kozo Rice paper and canvas. These large sculptural paintings hold a very immediate gestural quality to them. In recent years, Ilyas’s attention has focused on the role language plays in relating to the intangible aspects of the world; How can we use language to transcend its own literalism? By interweaving poetry, asemic text and visual imagery together, Ilyas seeks to recalibrate our language, so that it may be returned to its natural poetic state. These tiny, often illegible, poems found within his paintings point to a very precise linguistic meaning that is derived not from its definition but from its essence.
Exhibitions
2023 But Dearer Still Is Truth. Group Show. Plato Gallery, Evora, Portugal. Curated by Robyn Graham/Warbling Collective and Diogo Ramalho. 2023
2023 L’Essential. Solo Installation for Vacheron Constantin. The Arx, London, UK. Curated by George Kirman and Vacheron Constantin Team. 2023
2023 Feeling the Ground. Performance Showcase. Ainalaiyn Space, London, UK. Curated by Ramona Guntert, and Sotiris Gonis. 2023
2023 Every Spell Is Wet When Held Too Tightly. Joint Show. The Arx, London. Curated by Nicola Charalambous.
2020 The Way. Joint show with Misuzu Kaneko. Port Art and Design Tsuyama, Okayama, Japan. Curated by Yohei IIzuna.
2020 The Way. Solo Show. Port Art and Design Tsuyama, Okayama, Japan. Curated by Yohei IIzuna.
2020 Clean. Group Show. Clean Collaboration, London. Curated by Charlie Mortas
2018 Feel That Other Day Running Underneath This One. Group show, Time Square Space, New York, USA. Curated by Sara O’Keefee.
2018 International Ismaili Islamic Arts Festival. Group show, Portugal Pavilion, Lisbon, Portugal. Curated by Zainub Verjee
2018 UK Jubilee Arts Show. Group show, Zamana Gallery, Ismaili Centre, London, UK. Curated by Rozemin Keshvani.
2018 Growth. Solo show. Glasshouse, Chelsea, London, UK. Curated by Yannis Sheldon.
2017 Aesthetics of the State. The Public Sphere, London, UK. Curated by Justine Kolata.
2016 A Clock That Bends. Solo show, In Der Blue, Munich, Germany. Curated by Maximillian Schlereth
2016 Impermanence. Art dining experience. Flow gallery, Notting Hill, London, UK
2016 Scribbles and Murmurs. Group show, Rag Factory, London, UK. Curated by Annabel Keshishian
2016 Spatialisation and Memory. Group Show. ICIA, Bath. UK.
Talks and Readings
2023 The Body is a Gift Forgiven. Live Painting. In association with Morphe and Art and Christianity.
2023 Feeling The Ground – Live Painting. presented by Ainalaiyn Space.
2023 Ink drips backwards in Search of Ancestors. Live Painting. Lanzarote.
2023 Something Left Alone to Become Itself. Live Painting. Kythira, Greece.
2020 Connect - Human Library, Talk. Global Encounters, Online
2020 Streaming down the House presents Robert Lundqvist and friends. Reading. Online
2019 New River Press Yearbook Launch. Reading. Pentameters Theatre, London, UK
2019 A Night with Umair Sammi. Reading. Mayfair, London, UK
2019 Beyond Binary Thinking. Interview. Podcast, UK
2019 CTC Poetry. Reading. The Poetry Cafe, London, UK
2019 Brave poets presents Kiyasu. Reading. Bread and Roses, London, UK
2019 HTHC vol 13. Reading. Sofa Sounds, London, UK
2019 On Symbols, Reading. Public Sphere, London, UK
2018 Textures of Infinity. Artist Talk. Portugal Pavilion (part of International Islamic Ismaili Art Festival), Lisbon, Portugal
2018 The Role of Art In Society. Panel discussion at the Portugal Pavilion (part of International Islamic Ismaili Art Festival) with Amin Gulgee, Sara Diamond and Joao Ludovice, Lisbon, Portugal
2018 Homeland and Diaspora. Panel discussion at the Portugal Pavilion (part of International Islamic Ismaili Art Festival) with Zarina Bhimji and Shaheen Merali Lisbon, Portugal
2018 Ruckus. Reading. Troubadour, London, UK
2018 Soho Poetry. Reading. The Library Club, London, UK
2018 Lust. Reading. Home House, London, UK
2018 ABC. Reading. Scotch of Mayfair, London, UK
2018 Brave Poets, Reading. House of St Barnabas, London, UK.
2018 HTHC vol 7, Sofa Sounds, London, UK.
2018 On Kultur. Reading. Public Sphere, London, UK
2018 On Eccentricity. Reading. Public Sphere, London, UK
2018 Dust. Reading. Home House, London, UK
2017 Aesthetics of the State. Talk and Reading. The Public Sphere, London, UK
2017 A Clock That Bends. In der Blue, Munich, Germany
2017 Venezia. Reading. The Public Sphere, London, UK
2017 Love. Reading. Home House, London, UK
2017 The Neath, London, UK
2014 Why we ask Why? Tedx Durham, Durham UK
Publications
2023 Asemics. Ustanga.
2023 Droplet. Unpolished Magazine.
2023 Feeling The Ground. Ainalaiyn Space.
2020 White Gown Buddha. Ustanga.
2022 Monk - Unpolished Magazine
2022 Droplet - Unpolished Magazine
2021 Every Body Is A Trapped Prayer - Reconstructed Magazine
2020 The Puddle Became New Language - The Aleph Review
2020 Waterboard Suicide - Horizon Magazine
2020 My Favoirte Triangle - Horizon Magazine
2020 Nightlight - Verses Magazine
2020 Resonate: Sanctuary - RnR Creative
2020 Sudden Venom - Ilyas Ahmed EP
2020 Some Hidden Treasure - Alicia Waller EP
2020 Dawn on Saturn - Rivista Magazine
2019 Project Epicurus - Space Magazine
2019 When They Start To Love You as a Machine you Should Run - New River Press Yearbook
2016 A Clock that Bends - Wordscapes of withered time - Installation piece
2011 Reminiscence of the Present - Spiritual Encounters of the Analytically Insane - Blurb Press
Residencies
2023 Vacheron Constantin Artist Residency, The Arx, London, UK.
2023. The Arx Artist in Residence, The Arx, London, UK.
2022. Seeds of Change Sonic Residency, Chisenhale Dance Space, London, UK
2022. Dome Paleopoli Artist Summer Residency, Kythira, Greece.
2020 Public Sphere’s Poet in Residence, Public sphere London, UK.
2016 Poet in Residence. Public Sphere, London, UK
Films
2023 The Body Is a Line Hidden In The Sphere of the Earth, directed by Amanda Camenisch
2021 Something Left Alone to Become Itself, directed by Amanda Camenisch
2023 Every Spell Is Wet When Held Too Tightly, directed by Amanda Camenisch
2020 I Need You, directed by John Bentham
2020 The Way, directed by Chris Pencakowski
2020 Reminiscence of the Present, directed by Daniel Fazio
2018 Ligare, collaborative animation with Ruhee Maknojia
Awards
2018 Winner of UK Islamic Ismaili Arts Competition
2016 Winner of ICE Poetry Prize
2010 ICIA University of Bath Art/Photography Prize
Education
2017 Stories of the Earth, Schumacher College, Devon
2006 - 2010 BSC Business Administration, University of Bath