British artist spreads universal message

A humble-looking man in his 20s sits in his studio with a mask covering his mouth and a spray can in his hand as he begins to cover a canvas with different colours. The shades merge, and in the midst are beautiful letters in Arabic spelling a single word – salam, which means peace.

Mohammed Ali is no ordinary artist. For the 26-year-old from Birmingham, United Kingdom, art is a fusion of ancient Islamic script mixed with a modern edge, adding appeal to a younger generation of art lovers. Ali also has a message. "Spreading salam is a powerful, strong message. I choose words that inspire me but keep the art form as graffiti," he told Aljazeera.net.

Al-Jazeera, 20 May 2005