Farouq Molloy

b. 1957

Sean Molloy was born in Plymouth and started drawing while he was working the night shift as a telephone operator in a London hospital. Molloy’s early drawings on his preferred medium of graph paper were in black biro, but colour was soon introduced to his work. Islamic and North African decorative elements have always been present in his densely patterned drawings, and the imagery bears a resemblance, albeit unconscious, to prayer mats. During the Gulf War, Molloy converted to Islam, taking the Muslim name Farouq. Concerned about whether or not his new religion would allow him to pursue his creative work, he sought advice from an imam, who gave him permission to continue. A keen traveller, Molloy is believed to have made a pilgrimage to Mecca in recent years, but his current whereabouts are unknown.