I met Saad ( or Sid as I know him) Quereshi whilst studying Fine Art at Oxford Brookes University. He was in his final year whilst I was in my second and we'd often meet up in the film editing suit. We were both working on films that broached issues of identity. He'd managed to rig up a swing in one of the studios. It was no-mean feet as it was a really high ceiling. But Saad is never one to shy away from hard work. He is a totally dedicated artist. He seemed to live in University ...Mind you it was hard to keep me away, too. His video comprised a slowed-down version of himself swinging. The audio track was the actual sound of the swing amplified and played at the same speed. It was very atmospheric and certainly reflected the see-saw existence that Quereshi has experienced in his life.
He left Brookes to do an MA at the Slade and we vaguely kept in touch on facebook. I wasn't at all surprised to hear that he was one of six previously unknown artists selected by Charles Saatchi to take part in the School for Saatchi. A four part television series that aired last November.
He's recently been producing lovely canvases with the image painted or printed on the edge. I've never seen anything like it. Such a simple idea and yet so beautifully executed. Definitely a case where 'less is more' really works. You can see more of his work on www.aicongallery.com
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