Our Story
Meet Founder
SYED RAHMAN
Syed Rahman, also known as Saif, officially started Modern Wall Art® in 2014 with his father from their basement in Chicago. But Modern Wall Art® has been successfully designing 3D decor and making stainless steel art and furniture for over 10 years. In 2014, Saif first started off with an Etsy and eBay page. Then next came a website, then a small studio space in Skokie, Illinois in 2016. In 2018 the actual gallery opened, then the location in Bridgeview opened in 2020.
What is your biggest accomplishment to date?
There are two accomplishments I would say. One is opening America’s first Islamic art gallery in Skokie, Illinois. The second is having my Ayat Al Qursi art/design in the downtown Chicago history museum.
Who is your role-model?
My dad, Syed Abdul Quyoum. He never gives up and always says, “No matter how hard times get, we haven’t done bad to anyone, so Allah won’t do bad to us. Don’t worry.”
Where does the success behind your business come from?
I have no secret to success but to chase the barakah (blessings), not the money. I want to work with other artists. I want to raise money for those less fortunate. I’m not in the business for the money. I’m in it for the barakah-blessings. I help others from the money I make and use my platform to help make other businesses and artists successful. I recently also fundraised to make money for those suffering in India.
What motivated you from the beginning to keep doing this work?
It all starts from the beginning. I was remodeling my home and I was looking to buy modern art that was Islamic, to decorate my home. I couldn’t find art like that anywhere. After months of looking, I decided to make some modern Islamic art of my own. The art I designed for my home blew away the guests that visited. Since then, everything has been growing.
What is one thing you wish for your clients to know about you?
We believe in barakah (blessings) and even though many machines and tech out there can make art, we still choose to employ workers with skills to provide clients with handmade work, made from scratch and tailored for you. This then creates more jobs and brings in more barakah.