This chapter draws on a conversation held in Rotherham central library café between Kate Pahl, Zahir Rafiq and Steve Pool. All of the quotations from Zahir in this chapter come from the transcript of this conversation. We explore with artist Zahir Rafiq his lived experience of Rotherham, and how he has used art to create a space for conversations and for the articulation of experience. In doing so, we ask the question, ‘What can art do?’ and in this process, we argue for the arts as a mode of enquiry as well as an articulation of experience:

Zahir Rafiq is an artist whose work has tried to probe and interrogate contemporary images and perceptions of British Muslims. At the same time, Zahir has worked primarily as an artist, someone who goes beyond the stereotypes assigned to him by the media or community descriptions. He has used his art to create positive images of British Muslims and to work closely with the police, faith organisations, schools and universities to develop contemporary images of the people and experiences he sees around him. Zahir's realisation in his work was that in order to convey everyday experience, art provides a way to sidestep many difficulties. Working as an artist provides an opportunity to be a different kind of social commentator. Zahir's story illustrates how art can become a way of articulating community experiences in a different way.

Zahir grew up in Rotherham, and his work draws on the twin traditions of Islamic art and Western artistic practice. Both Zahir's great-grandfather and grandfather were mosque builders. This involved both designing, building and decorating mosques, and was a skilled activity. Being a mosque builder involved designing and making the mosque and decorating the mosque with Islamic calligraphy. While this was not seen as ‘artistic’, it was part of a tradition where people decorated and inscribed images as part of everyday practice. When a mosque was completed, the community had a party to celebrate. When Zahir's grandfather came to England, he then got a job in a cutlery factory – making spoons. Zahir's mother was a skilled needlewoman and for thirty years was a dressmaker.