Zeeshan Hussain

THE END IS NIGH

We have grown increasingly aware that ‘the end’ is on some horizon somewhere.  Nobody quite knows how it will happen, why it will happen, or what mutated gene / dodgy lab caused the zombies to pop up in the first place.  Ends remain incredibly difficult for us to comprehend, leaving us with little more than the memory of what was before and the lingering question of “well ...what now?”

Introducing the Museum of Zeeshan Hussain, which sadly has to end at 4pm today.

Zeeshan is a 17 year old coming to the end of adolescence, the end of his college education, and potentially the end of his residence here in Birmingham.

On his own horizon though, beyond those painful endings, lies the glistening sunshine of tomorrow's potential.  With it comes the optimism that Zeeshan will make a positive impact on the world around him (for as long as it lasts, that is).

We hope that when you get to the end of the Museum of Zeeshan you might look forward to whatever start it leads to next. For now though, I’m afraid you have reached the end of this interpretation panel.  Please enjoy the next one.

Hi my name is Zeeshan and welcome to my museum.
I am 17 and the loudest in the room as always. This museum has no walls, but I’ll still be the loudest.
This experience was one of great pleasure and one in which I was able to reflect upon my memories of life. This included far too embarrassing stories that I would never allow seeing the life of day.
I hope you leave here today having experienced a little bit of my life through the collection of objects portrayed to you. Go ahead and walk around the boujee museum of me.
Remember it - zeeshan hussain - that name will be in your minds all day.

ZEESHAN HUSSAIN

The Museum of Zeeshan Hussain

  • How to survive the Zombie Apocalypse

    Tins from my kitchen, my phone and phone charger

    I’ve spent extensive time thinking about how I’d survive the end of the world.

    What I’d do is I’d get some tins from the cupboard (thanks Mum), get my phone and its charger then camp out in the bush down the road. The mistake people make in the films is that they keep moving. That’s when you get caught. Like Shaun of the Dead, I’d sit in the bush then wait for all this to blow over.

    If the Zombie Apocalypse catches me on a good day, I think I’d be a good survivor but on a bad day I’m too lazy to move. If I have to run 100m, ugghh, literally take me.

    In the end we all just die anyway. You don’t know when your ending is… you’re dead.

  • How to survive the end of school

    Signed school shirt, tie

    I quite like endings. When we left school everyone was crying, I was like “there’s so much more”.

    I’m now in my final year of college before I hopefully head off to University. It's a new beginning, a new chance for me to do something and be more independent.

    Most people are nervous but I’m really excited. Although I like Birmingham, I’m excited to build a new life for myself somewhere else. I’m hoping London.

    There’s lots more to explore in the world and I just want to be a little person in another city.

  • Prime ME-nister

    Campaign photo, red tie

    In the future I think I’d like to be a politician, because you get to argue, but also make some kind of a change. Everything has an opportunity to be made better.

    For me, the system needs the biggest change. I struggle to understand democracy because you’re having to just settle. You shouldn’t have to just settle.

    Politicians: there’s no real point in claiming you are the help if you are not really helping. I’d improve schools knowing how a good education can give you a much better start in life, and how underpaid teachers are. I’d improve the benefits system and universal credits because everyone needs a level of income to survive. I’d keep McDonalds open 24/7 everywhere. But that last one’s mainly for me.

  • Arguments

    Speak, your, mind

    I argue with all of my family all the time, we like to argue.

    I’m the baby of the family and have grown up being told by my sisters “speak your mind”. So I do. We’re a fiery family; one time I argued with my sister over something really petty and we didn’t speak for literally 2 months.

    At college I am studying history, sociology and politics, I think because these are the subjects where you are able to argue. Arguments can be seen as bad, but I’ve got a big mouth sooo…

    Sometimes aggression in arguments can be good, because it shows you are passionate about it. I am passionate about McDonalds being open 24/7 everywhere.

  • Bargain

    Ipad, mixed media cardboard boxes, shopping trolley

    I love walking around supermarkets. It’s like retail therapy in terms of food. Here’s my guide:

    • Aldi: general bits and bobs

    • Tesco: boujee

    • Co-Op: double boujee

    • Waitrose: off the charts boujee

    • Lidl: good bakery

    • Asda: good for useless things that you don’t really need

    I also love Asos. I have premium delivery for a year so it forces you to buy stuff because you want to make your money out of it. Clothes buy you happiness.

    You can also buy out asos at points, it’s just a click online.

  • Something of each other

    Necklace and Chilli Sauce

    My family and I argue all the time. My family are a fiery bunch. My family still to this day use the time where I squirted chilli sauce into my eyes as an excuse to embarrass me. In spite of all this, I will miss them when I go off to University. I will miss the arguments too.

    When my sister went off to her University in 2017 (I think) she gave me this necklace, she just gave it to me. I wear it every day, not today though, and still find it comforting.

    Even if we are not together I am connected to her by that. We have something of each other.

  • The latest trend

    Jacket, Pinterest images

    I’ve got an eclectic taste of music. Although I was born in 2004 I love 90’s songs: like Umbrella by Rihanna, Dilemma by Nellie and Let Me Love You by Mario.

    I think I started listening to them because I found some on Pinterest and went ‘ah, that’s good’. Sometimes things like classic songs are timeless, other times fashions reinvent themselves.

    Here is a jacket that I got my Dad to buy me. I have three different ones like it and they feel so cool. You rarely see anyone else in them so I feel I’m so different compared to you. Like, supermodel different. I am a bit of an attention seeker.

    It’s an endless cycle of wearing old in a new kind of way, pairing them with stuff that’s trendy to make them feel right today. You don’t want to look like you belong in the 80’s but vintage and modern pull them together.

  • The clash of cultures: British and Pakistani

    Mix of British and Pakistani clothes

    Pakistani is what you can first see in me.

    I mean… I’m not exactly white.

    I was born at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and feel there has always been a weird clash of cultures for me. British and/or Pakistani.

    Both of my parents were born in Pakistan and moved here when they were 18ish. They had their Pakistani identity then would have had to blend it with the British culture when they got here. I’ve had both blended from the very beginning which kind of makes it more confusing.

    I was born with both Pakistani and British cultures.

  • Home keeps me rooted

    Spice bowls, DVDs, CDs, Pakistani flag

    When I am in the house I feel my Pakistani culture more strongly. We eat Pakistani foods, we listen to Pakistani music, and we watch Pakistani films.

    When I am out and about I get very British vibes. Although I have friends who are Pakistani I go to a ‘British’ school, I shop at ‘British’ supermarkets and I eat fish and chips.

    I’m the youngest of the family, and although my sisters and brother have all moved out they still live literally down the road.

    Home, and with them, is where I stay connected to Pakistan.

  • Well… what now?

    Red lentils, photos, bag

    I am excited to build a new life for myself somewhere else. My family would probably be sad at first, but they know it’s something I really want to do.

    I will miss the environment here, all of my family and friends. Here I have a lot of people looking after me and although I’m independent I sometimes like being a child.

    I think I will still cook Pakistani meals when I’m at University, like lentils. Mum’s had us on this healthy stuff. I’ll still listen to Pakistani music and watch Pakistani films like Kal Ho Naa Ho. I’ll still be Pakistani after all.

Gallery

Photography by Graeme Braidwood