A few months ago I was given the opportunity to do a public mural as part of Art Fest Nottingham.
I have had the honour of paying tribute to Jamal Sterrett, a self taught visual & performance artist with Asperger’s. I first met Jamal 7 years ago when we collaborated on a musical performance together where he danced as a silent front man. He has grown a lot since then. He is an inspirational talent and has used the streets of Nottingham as his dance studio for over a decade.
For my first mural I wanted to continue my exploration of dance postures and gender. That’s when I thought of Jamal and his dance practice in the streets. After introducing Jamal to the idea of me making this homage to him, we discussed the elements that are most important for him.
Jamal describes his approach as using Asperger’s to absorb and dance to respond to the outside world. He uses air, light and surrounding objects to influence these movements. It’s important not to care about what the surrounding people think, be confident in your individuality and stay true to yourself.
Me and Jamal have been coming up with themes, words and a poem that ties everything together. Jamal has been in America, honing his skills in ‘Freeform Bruk Up’ with Albert The Ghost Esquilin (@unfriendlyghost ) and Storyboard P (@storyboardp ). The ethos behind this dance practice is now an important theme in this work.
The foundation layer of the dance has a rhythm of 90’s hip hop and RnB. Freeform Bruk Up is a modernised Bruk Up that’s personal. It is an emotion based approach. Assertive, angry, raunchy, with animated personal movements, moving away from dance hall reggae styles and introducing stop motion, freedom of movement, textures and rule breaking approaches to dance.
We’ve been lucky to enough to have the blessings of the photographers Phillip Haynes (@philhaynes87 ), Fred Macgregor (@assocphoto ) and Gemma Poyzer (@gemma_poyzer_photo ) to use their photos for this collage mural.
Jamal’s journey is taking him to places far beyond Nottingham but I hope this homage will stay in place to remind people to be ultra free, pursue their ambitions and most importantly, be themselves.
Hey! It's reveal time! You've seen this one before, but I thought it would be fun to show you how big this one actually is! It's hard to show the reality of work in this digital realm. This one's been up at @bread_lard_island for you to feast your eyes on while you're feasting your bellies on delicious food.
Sadly the Bread and Lard show has come to an end but an exciting new show will be opening this friday with @zena.kay ! ✨✨✨
This work will be viewable at my studio in @the___carousel for a couple of months 🕺
I'm going to be doing some touch ups on all the works and putting some of these up for sale so if you're interested give me a shout!
Big thanks to everyone at Bread and Lard for supporting this body of work for the last couple of years! It's been a lovely home for it to be in. I think having a coffee and seeing art in a peaceful space with a nice snack is an underated combination. More art in more spaces!
LASS DIE KUNST RAUS!
#paintingreveal #artistonınstagram #collage #painting #retroaesthetic
Babak Esmaeli: REACTION
Launching this Friday 7pm
Residency and Solo Exhibition at The Carousel Nottingham, UK — May 2026
Curated by Martin Rayment
The Carousel is proud to present a new solo exhibition by Iranian artist Babak Esmaeli, developed during his residency at the organisation. This powerful body of work offers a deeply personal reflection on Iran’s recent and historical events, seen through the lens of distance, memory, and lived experience.
Originally from a small town in the south of Iran, Babak Esmaeli has been driven by a passion for creating since childhood. After studying graphic design, he forged a professional path as a cartoonist and illustrator. Now based in Nottingham for the past three years, his practice blends visual storytelling with political and emotional REACTION. He expresses his interpretation of his life in the Iranian regime at a distance without fear of execution. Both here and in Iran: his work inspires resistance, unity and REACTION.
The current series explores the impact of events in Iran over the past forty-seven years. Through expressive, illustrative works, Babak captures how these moments are processed internally, particularly from the perspective of someone who, for many years, was unable to speak freely, and who now observes the situation from afar. The result is a poignant and thought-provoking collection that navigates themes of silence, displacement, and reflection. We encourage dialogue and reaction to continue the conversation beyond this exhibition.
Exhibition Details
Opening Night: Friday 1st May, 7pm – late
Public Viewing: Every Saturday in May, 11am – 4pm
Additional Visits: By appointment
The exhibition will take place at The Carousel, Nottingham’s creative and cultural community hub, supporting artists through residencies, exhibitions, and collaborative opportunities.
Email & Contact Follow the artist and venue for updates:
Instagram: @art.babak
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @the___Carousel
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
'I have loved. And for that, I am eternally grateful''
This is one of my most recent painting and I loved going bright and colourful, it feels positive, hopeful and triumphant. This is a new chapter
This piece is made from fragments torn and cut edges with layered memories. Every scene holds something: a place, a person, a feeling a a moment in society and the battles we all face every day
If you look closely you might find pieces of your own story too.
#paintingreveal
#painting
#collage
#artistonınstagram
#interiorart
Lately, creativity feels more about sound than visual. Is it a loop or just the changing of the Seasons? It happens every year in some order.
Recorded in the studio, all sounds by me.
I'm pleased to announce that I have exhibited my first piece in the city of London as part of Recycling Week! The exhibition was led by @reusetechgroup and @bobsyouruncle . This was quite a quick turn around for me so I didn't have much time to post about it, but I'm super excited that we made it happen! And here it is:
SUSTAIN THIS HOUSE, HEAL THIS HOPE.
Mixed media collage
2025
The theme was: Digital Dystopia: The Price Of Progress
A challenging concept, raising awareness of E waste and challenging all exhibiting artists to make work with a selection of E waste. I had great fun dismantling a disco ball, keyboard and other bits of E waste to create a dystopian futuristic tower that is both polluting and beautifully enticing. A metaphor for our relationship with technology. The piece demands the viewer to 'Sustain this house, heal this hope.'. A reflection on the current times and how our hope in sustainability can waver. @reusetechgroup is pioneering in recycling E waste and I admire the bravery of challenging artists to respond to the very ethos of the company.
My work is normally quite personal and cryptic so it was nice to make something with more of a literal message with positivity and activismnas the inspiration.
I'll take some better photos of the piece soon but thought I would share it with you, now that it's out in the world!
Thank you Jess at @bobsyourunclepr for all your hard work on this show and having me take part!
Cheers,
Martin
