2020
corten steel
95 x 235 cm
Estimate: €85,000 – 100,000
Saad Qureshi creates sculptures that give physical form to the ideas and stories through which we seek to understand the meaning of human existence. He often uses the motif of trees and leaves, as they possess an extraordinary range of tactile and visual qualities. For the artist, they carry strong symbolic significance as markers of time (the changing seasons) and the transformations it brings—both physical and metaphorical. The image of a falling leaf is among the most potent and poetic in literature and the visual arts. It is a motif shared not only in the West but also across Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.
Silent Leaf started as a hand drawing of a winter leaf the artist had found, which was then digitally scanned and scaled up to reveal the intricate, delicate patterns nature had worn into it. This design was then laser-cut and shaped from corten steel, a metal known for developing a weathered patina over time. The colour of materials is of great importance to Saad; he favours those that bring their own distinctive tones rather than requiring paint or surface treatment. This particular leaf will slowly oxidise and change—constantly evolving, embodying the dynamic nature of transformation.
Described by Laura Cumming of The Observer as “one of our most reflective and poetic artists,” Saad Qureshi’s (b. 1986) works have been exhibited at Djanogly Gallery, Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield, and Nature Morte Gallery in New Delhi, and are held in numerous collections in London, Dubai, Beijing, and Qatar. He was featured in 100 Sculptors of Tomorrow, published by Thames & Hudson. His work Convocation is exhibited at the prestigious Raffles London hotel.
Saad is currently working on his largest leaf sculpture to date, commissioned as part of one of the UK’s most prestigious public art programmes.
