UK art show explores Muslim life, Europe’s Islamic history and Islamophobia
Under a 536‑year‑old carved Spanish ceiling in east London, three monumental tapestries hang in the new V&A East Storehouse. Created by architect‑artist Shahed Saleem, the work titled I Was Born Here weaves together historic and contemporary images that trace Muslim presence in Britain and Europe.
One panel reproduces verbatim Home Office “hostile environment” notices from 2013, set against Alhambra‑style geometric patterns. Another honors Altab Ali, the Bangladeshi shopkeeper murdered in 1978, while a third celebrates the bustling life of Newham’s Queen’s Market. A further scene references the Santa Maria voyage, linking early Spanish colonisation to the later displacement of Muslim and Jewish communities.
The tapestries deliberately juxtapose Europe’s long‑standing fascination with Islamic art against the rise of xenophobic politics, from the Reform UK surge to recent far‑right protests. By recalling the Spanish Inquisition and modern anti‑immigrant legislation, the installation frames current Islamophobia as part of a centuries‑old pattern of exclusion.
Visitors report that the sheer scale and vivid colour invite personal reflection. Young Londoners see the title as a defensive claim of belonging, while older members of the community feel it validates their histories. Saleem envisions the work as a future artefact, a marker of a moment when Britain’s Muslim narratives were both celebrated and contested.