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The worshiper

Syed Danish Ahmed

MFA

2010

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Abstract

The worshiper is the person who pays reverent honor and homage to the God. To me, the act of worship becomes a means of reintegration, which unites my outward world to my spiritual existence. The primary objective of my MFA project is to investigate the possibilities of aligning my art to my religious beliefs: and to find ways to place the dialogue in a contemporary framework. My research is primarily informed by the underlying symbolism of practice in Islamic worship and the symbolism behind Islamic artistic expressions. The images emulate the process of spiritual cleansing, which I am experiencing in recent years. My art interprets the remembrance of God in a visual domain as it seeks to embody the environment of worship. The symbolic visual language is directly drawn from the practice of Islamic canonical prayers to facilitate the narrative of my own spiritually dichotomic and divided existence in this world. It attempts to analyze an interaction and tension between inward and outward dimensions of existence in order to create a state of union and integration on a visual plane. My work is focused on the inner dimensions of my faith rather than its outward manifestations; it becomes a vehicle enabling me to arrive at the state of reflection. The images produced are the direct result of the act of contemplation and religious practices. The symbolic visual interpretation of my religious quest is discernible in a universal and contemporary artistic expression that strives to engage a universal audience.

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Contents

Introduction 4

The Language of Unity 7 o Spiritual Character of 8 o Contemporary Reflections 12

Re Union 17 o Qalb e Salim (Sound Heart) 19 o Image of an Inward Tree 20 o The Rug 21 o The Prayer 23

Conclusion 25

Plates 28

Bibliography 46

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Introduction

The primary question I have been researching over the past two years is how my art practice can be aligned to the teaching of my faith, remaining contemporary at the same time. It has become an analysis and investigation of the possibilities of incorporating symbols derived from to construct a narrative of my own life experience. My art practice turns out to be a vehicle for me to arrive at a state of contemplation. It becomes an experience of the spiritual certitude to acquire inner attachment to the Divine.

For many years it has been a personal quest to find validity in my art practice, and to establish connections between art making and spiritual growth. I am a strong believer that art will fail its very essence and purpose if it is considered as a medium invoking sensory pleasure alone; to me art should also add credence to life functioning in a spiritual context.

My research for the MFA has organically turned into a rediscovery of my religious beliefs. It is a common experience for people like me who, at some point in life, find themselves detached from the spiritual dimensions of their existence. Standing at the crossroads of modernity and spirituality, aided me to investigate my spiritual status as a human being and as a Muslim living in a capitalist environment. Needing to be at peace with the material world, I needed to re-position myself in order to gain access to the very core of my reality, from where I can reflect outwardly in a true manner.

Having a divergent and dichotomic existence, where secular and spiritual elements co-exist, often result in a state of conflict and spiritual agitation. An internal conflict has been raging within me. On the one hand I live in the material world with its seductive character of materialism while on the other hand I have a gravitational pull from my inner spirituality. The supreme reality, which has its core at the center of things, also manifests the outward.

Nasr states, ‘Muslim who lives in the center of Islamic world, touched in one degree or another by modernism, lives within a polarized field of tension created by two contending world views and system of values. 5

This tension often reflected within his mind and soul, and he usually becomes a house divided against itself, in profound need of re-integration’. 1

This dislocation from the inward or from the center makes the pull even greater as the displacement increases. The distance we are discussing here is not one that is geographical, but the shift is on a spiritual plane; however, physical distances somehow compliment the urge to return back to the center - the spiritual being.

The urge to go back to the origin has been a personal realization at a profound degree that resulted in a state of spiritual expedition fueled by an uneasy energy and desire to find the truth and consequently astuteness. Similarly, my research led me to the rediscovery of my art practice in order to connect it to my own religious understanding.

Being a Muslim, I am required to go into some extended moments of solitude to contemplate and analyze my actions in order to check and correct my spiritual path in life. The asserts in its very first chapter:

‘Show us the straight path’.2

Being in an un-familiar western environment for the past two and a half years provided me with the opportunity to experience a phase of introspection and contemplation.

This process of introspection is followed by the process of purification called ‘the purification of heart’ in Islamic discourse. Islamic life is deeply connected with the doctrine of ‘Divine Unity’ and every action of a Muslim, points to the concept of ‘’ -the doctrine of oneness of God.

This experience magnified many folds since my departure from my homeland. All of a sudden, everything that defined my religious life disappeared. The call to prayers (Adhan) from the (Masjid), the mosque itself, people going about their prayers across the day between work and other similar and familiar sights are no longer with me, leaving me suspended and floating away from the axis of my existence. Therefore, my art attempts to recreate a spiritual environment, which I am missing in my life.

1 Sayyed Hossein Nasr, Islam and the Plight of Modern Man, Suhail Academy, Lahore, Pakistan, 1999, p18 2 Al Quran 1:6, translation M. Pickthall, Surah Al-Fatiha which means ‘the Opening’; it is also the opening Surah (chapter) recited at the beginning of every prayer and has a very high importance in the life of a Muslim. 6

During such times it is required in Islamic religious practice to correct the course of one’s life in order to acquire oneness, to purify his or herself of all the spiritual ailments and moral corruptions. This process is called Tazkiyah al Nafs (purification of the heart and soul) and it has a fundamental place in the life of a Muslim to perform tazkiyah in order to acquire moral virtues and result in eternal happiness.

The (saying of the Prophet) Prophet "My is based on cleanliness", does not refer only to outward cleanliness; it primarily speaks of inner purity. To arrive at perfection, it is necessary to struggle against lusts and immoral tendencies in order to prepare the soul to receive God's grace. When one travels the path of purification, God will help and guide.

Therefore, the fundamental goal for every Muslim is the same, which is remembrance of God and to submit him or herself to His will. This goal should then reflect upon every sphere of life. My fundamental question for my research, therefore, is how I can translate the same concept of remembrance of God into my art practice.

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The Language of Unity

God is beautiful and loves beauty3

In this section, an appraisal of the sources, which facilitated and influenced my thoughts and aided in constructing my outlook and analysis for narrative and studio research are reviewed. The principles with which my research is linked, and subsequently the studio practice emerging, are established symbolically rather than a direct borrowing of visual elements from the resources which have inspired me and impacted my narrative. The stimulus and connections are the direct result of the experiential understanding of the wisdom and the spirit behind the very faith of Islam and its arts.

In Arabic the word ‘tawhid’ is used as a term for the Doctrine of oneness of God, it is the concept of monotheistic character of Islam that holds God () as One and Unique, independent and indivisible. The sacred book of Islam, the Quran, declares the existence of the absoluteness of the divinity that transcends the world of forms; that is independent of the created. The indivisible quality of the divinity implies the indivisibility of God's dominion, which in turn, points to a justly and morally coherent universe, as opposed to a morally chaotic world of forms.

In Islam, intellectual history unfolds through a gradual understanding of the meaning and suggestions of God’s Unity by successive generations of believers in every domain of life of a Muslim. This concept of Unity reflects in every domain of the Muslim life, which includes Islamic theology, jurisprudence, philosophy, mystic tradition and also reflects in the development of its arts; all seek to explain at some degree, the concept of Unity and oneness of the God.

All kinds of religious activities are entirely explained by this doctrine of tawhid (oneness of God). , (the witness), (the prayer), fasting, alms giving and the pilgrimage, are the direct manifestations of the idea of tawhid. As Clark observed: The essence of the concept of Divine Unity in Islam is the awareness that ‘‘there is no divinity but God.’’ This statement, the first part of the Shahada (the Muslim testimony of faith), may also be reinforced as, ‘‘there is no reality but the Reality.’’ In other words, the only reality is God. Thus, for the Muslim, existence is centered entirely on the consciousness of Divine Unity. This means that everything in the created world is transparent: behind the ephemeral beauty of the outward form, one can discern the ineffable spirit within. This

3 A saying of Prophet Muhammad, Sahih Muslim, 1.93.91 8

eternal and transcendent quality gives the world of nature and all of manifestation their meaning: all else passes away.4

Therefore, the sense of harmony in conformity with the message of tawhid in Islam places the unitive character for the entire Muslim community; it is not surprising to observe that the art created as a result of this understanding will always hold the suggestions of the stated doctrine.

Spiritual character of Islamic Art:

Throughout the history of Islamic expansion it is evident that Islamic Art absorbed the cultural character of every region it spread to, in turn, it resulted in a variety of expressions in art forms. It is also observed that what truly unifies all these variable artistic positions, is in fact, the very spirit of Islam. The spirit, which respires a similar soul to make all Islamic art, attaches to the doctrine of Divine Unity.

Islamic art has a vast variety of examples throughout its history, which proves that Islamic art is an artistic expression which is deeply connected to a symbolic and spiritual dimension of art. This art is a manifestation of the spiritual realities of Islamic revelation materialized by its earthly embodiments.

Nasr explains:

The casual relation between the Islamic revelation and Islamic art, moreover, is borne out by the organic rapport between this art and Islamic worship, between the contemplation of God as recommended in the Quran and the contemplative nature of this art, between the remembrance of God (dhikr Allah) which is the goal of all Islamic worship, and the role played by Islamic art of both a plastic and sonoral nature in the life of individual Muslims and the community as a whole. This art could not perform such a spiritual function if it were not related in the most intimate manner to both the form and content of the Islamic revelation.5

4 Emma C. Clark, Voices of Islam, Vol. 4, Voices of Art, Beauty and Science, Praeger Publishers, USA, 2007, p106 5 S H Nasr, Islamic Art and Spirituality, Golgonooza Press, 1987, p 4 9

Islamic art can, for a Muslim, serve as a support for the remembrance of God because it is directly driven from the wisdom, which comes from the Divine Unity. Such support for the quest of inward knowledge does not exist if the inner link between this art and Islamic spirituality is not established.

Among the wide array of artistic expression in Islamic Art, I would like to discuss , the mosque and Persian miniature , all of which inform my research in many ways.

Calligraphy

Quranic Calligraphy is considered as the supreme art form in the domain of Islamic art; it is the visual embodiment of the Word of God. Calligraphy is widely shared by all artistic expressions in Islamic art. It can be observed to work as an ornament in with varied forms and styles in conjunction with the geometric and vegetal patterns. It is known as a central visual art with its numerous applications ranging from architecture to poetry. Khalil al Zahawi, ink on paper,

Arabic Calligraphy is a striking example of the marriage between the strict rules of geometry and the most melodious rhythm of the word. According to Islamic history, calligraphy was developed for the purpose of transferring the sacred scripture, verbally delivered by the Archangel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad, into text. The various styles of calligraphy do not seem to follow the content of the Quran as calligraphic letters have a character of their own which in combination creates an Edenic state. By witnessing the development of various calligraphic styles through the history, it can be said that Islam is not against progress and aesthetic growth is always appreciated in Islamic world.

Arabic Calligraphy also refers to the idea of the intersection of heaven and earth, as it is mainly used for the writing of the word of God. The Quran is the divine revelation and the act of Raseed Butt, ink on and gold on bhoj pater writing intersects the metaphysical dimension on the human (paper like bark), 28x21cm 2007, Pakistan 10

plain. On the other hand, the visual character of Arabic calligraphy also symbolizes the same idea which is described by Burckhardt, ‘the horizontal movement of the script, which is a rippling movement, corresponds to change and becoming, whereas the vertical represents the dimension of the Essence or the immutable essences.’6

Building on these characteristics the visual direction in my artwork is seen to progress from the right to the left of the painting and moving vertically to seek spiritual enlightenment. This ocular direction corresponds to the orientation of the Arabic script, which is the language of the Quran.

The Mosque

The mosque is dominated by the reverberating word of God during ‘Salah’ (prayer) and Dhikr Allah (remembrance of Allah). During prayer the worshiper finds himself or herself on the path of spiritual nexus by experiencing the self in the Divine presence of God experiencing a calm coalescing of the body and soul.

Primarily, the symbolism for my research comes from the mosque itself as it is characterized with the direct symbols Qarawiyyiin Mosque, Fez, Morocco synonymous with Islamic worship. Mehrab (the niche) creates a focal point and invites all Muslims to align themselves with the centre, facing the direction of the holy city of where the Ka’ba is situated. Therefore, the most important characterstic of a mosque is that it should always be oriented towards Ka’ba.

The most primordial sacred architecture for Muslims is the Ka’ba, which is believed to be the place where Heavenly axis pierces the earth. The Ka’ba is in contact with the act of continuous circumambulation for centuries by the worshipers from all over the world, thus it becomes a heart for the Islamic world and worshipers run like a blood stream to fulfill their Ka'ba, the house of Allah, Mecca spiritual thirst.

6 Titus Burckhardt, Art of Islam, World of Islam Festival Publishing Company Ltd., 1976, p. 47 11

In a Mosque, Quranic calligraphy and vegetal ornamentation create an environment, which is at once a reflection of the paradise and in a constant state of dhikr (remembrance of God). The emptiness of the mosque is an indirect symbol which represents the presence of Divinity in the created world, the idea of the presence of the uncreated and un-manifested. The use and the play of light cascading in Islamic architecture, especially in a mosque, symbolize divine light.

The symbolism of the orientation, spiritual illumination and being in a constant state of the remembrance of God are the key characteristics of the architecture of a mosque. My own practice seems to embody the same environment and tries to interpret the language of sacred architecture of Islam in the medium of painting.

Persian miniature painting

Although Persian miniature painting is not considered to be a sacred art form from an Islamic point of view, it is spontaneously related to the inherent view of Islamic life. It shares the same spiritual atmosphere and contemplative vision that Islam holds. Persian miniature painting is indisputably the most perfect example of figurative art of Islam. The true art of Persian miniature painting came into being after the Mongol invasion on in the early thirteenth century. The influence of Chinese painting is evident in Persian miniature as it also blends art of calligraphy and figurative forms. The ‘Conference of the birds’, Safavid period, reduction of space to plane surfaces, the interaction of the Isphahan. c. 1600. The Metropolitan Museum of Art figure with the landscape and the use of outline are retained in Persian miniature. However, the bold and gestural outlines of the Chinese brush gave way to the precise and continuous line drawing that links it to the style of Arabic calligraphy. The meticulously defined contour lines filled with unbroken colors gives Persian miniature a unique kind of beauty. The nobility and simplicity of the poetic environment simply transcend the scenes it portrays.

Like other forms of Islamic art, Persian miniature painting is significant for its spiritual interpretation of time, space and form. The conception of space is more than a physical one as it tends to represent 12

a symbolism of the space and time that transcends and points to the veracity which is beyond physical. As Nasr aptly describes, ‘it is a space which recreates the peace and harmony of virgin nature by dissolving the tensions and disequilibria of the mundane world. But by this very fact it creates in its own way a differentiated and qualitative space which places man in the presence of the Eternal by removing the tensions and stresses that characterize man’s terrestrial and temporal life.’7

Similarly, therefore what interests me is not the depiction of what is three-dimensional and direct. If it were to do so it would turn my philosophy into a replication of the irreverent and mundane and cease to point to what is beyond all materials.

During the in India (early 16th– 19th century), a unique blend of ancient Indian miniature painting and Persian miniature painting emerged which also known as Mughal miniature painting. Mughal kings were interested in having a visual record of their courtly and hunting activities in a book form. Mughal miniature painting started to accommodate the scenes of its own time while being still in connection with the traditional technique of Persian miniature.

The city of Lahore, Pakistan was the centre of Mughal courts, which caused Mughal miniature painting to emerge as the most important traditional Pakistani art form. In 1985, the National College of Arts, Lahore established the department of Miniature painting. This department produced artists who contributed to the emergence of contemporary miniature painting to be recognized in the international mainstream art scene.

Contemporary reflections

Contemporary miniature painting in terms of technique and visual synthesis profoundly influences my recent style of painting. What interests me is the representation of the space and time, which is essentially spiritual in its character and transcends the normal setting of place and time. The technique is still in communion with the traditional methods but at the same time the breed of neo- miniature painters always seek to place it in a contemporary setting in terms of subject matter and context.

7 S H Nasr, Islamic Art and Spirituality, Golgonooza Press, 1987, p 178 13

In recent years, contemporary Pakistani miniature painters have established their presence in the international art market. There are frequent group and solo shows of Pakistani miniature painters in London, New York, Paris, New Delhi, Hong Kong and Japan.

Shahzia Sikander

Shahzia Sikander is a miniaturist and a graduate from the National College of Arts’ miniature department. She received her MFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 1995, and received the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 2006. Shahzia has

become a driving force in the development of Shahzia Sikander, ‘Riding the Ridden’, 2000 Vegetable color, dry pigment, watercolor, tea, on hand contemporary miniature painting in the last decade, as prepared Wasli paper, 20.3 x 14 inches she has exhibited extensively in every major art center around the world.

Her work addresses variety of contemporary themes ranging from religious and cultural identity to gender related subjects. Her experimentation with imagery and materiality transports the traditional art of miniature painting into the realm of contemporary art practice. However, the visual representation is still an extension of her training as a miniature painter. In her interview to the video magazine ART: 21, she says, ‘...There was no particular break from tradition, and yet my whole purpose of taking on the subject was to break the tradition, to experiment with it, to find new ways of making meaning, to question the relevance of it.’

Shahzia Sikander, ‘Fleshy weapons’, 1997 acrylic, dry pigment, water color, tea wash on linen, 96x70 inches 14

Imran Qureshi

Qureshi teaches Miniature painting at the Department of Fine Arts, National College of Arts Lahore since his graduation in 1994 from the same department. He is also a leading artist from Pakistan who has succeeded in redefining the Miniature painting tradition in contemporary terms.

His figurative works often represent the current social and political themes but his emphasis on the craftsmanship of rendering the forms and the repetition of delicate motifs bring back the idea of tradition and the past.

Imran Qureshi, ‘Standing Figure in Qureshi intelligently manages to keep the roots still Camouflage Pantaloon’, 1999, Opaque watercolor on wasli paper, 52.5 x 42 cm connected to the ground while he branches out to expand his visual expedition.

‘Portraits’, 2009 Opaque watercolor on Wasli paper 22.9 x 17.8 cm

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Khadim

Ali is also trained as a miniature painter from the National College of Arts, Pakistan and his work was included in Fifth Asia Pacific Triennial, 2006. He has exhibited widely in Pakistan, as well as in Iran, Japan, and England.

Khadim Ali is a member of the Hazara community from the central mountainous area of Afghanistan. Ali's artistic practice is directly informed and influenced by the experience of war his family faced when they had to flee from their homeland to the northern part of Pakistan where Khadim Ali, Untitled - 6, Rustam, 2007, Gouache, gold on Wasli, 31 x 27 cm they now live.

Ali's work often engages with ideas of social and religious prejudice and its effect on the way history is written and remembered, particularly in times of war. In his recent Rustam series, he connects the imagery of traditional Persian epic ‘Shahnama’ (the Book of Kings) with the current situation in the war-ridden Afghanistan. The graceful use of line, use of text and the abstract representation of space again connect his current narrative to the traditional sensibility of miniature painting.

Sixth Asia Pacific Triennial

The Sixth Asia Pacific Triennial in 2009 included a commissioned work from Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian from Iran and a site-specific architecture piece from Ayaz Jokhio from Pakistan. Both of the pieces are a perfect example of the use of the Islamic geometric designs in a contemporary art practice.

Jokhio’s work takes a form of an octagonal Mosque like architectural form with a Mehrab (niche) on each wall. The artist draws on the central idea of direction in Islamic worship with the simplicity and beauty of Islamic design to Ayaz Jokhio, A thousand doors and windows too, 6th Asia Pacific Triennial 2009 16

create a space, which resembles a sacred space for contemplation.

On the other hand, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian’s major six-panel mosaic work draws on Islamic geometric patterns, Persian mystic symbolism and traditional craftsmanship from Iran. Her distinctive art practice translates Persian pictorial language into modern forms by combining mirror mosaic and reverse glass painting techniques with contemporary abstract

Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Lightning for Neda (detail) 2009 styles. Her shimmering large six-panel Mirror mosaic, reverse glass painting, plaster on wood, 6 panels, mosaic work is based on the form of the 300 x 200cm (each), 6th Asia Pacific Triennial 2009 hexagon, symbolizing the six virtues of generosity, self-discipline, patience, determination, insight, and compassion.

It is important to understand that both of these artists do not simply borrow the design elements from Islamic art to create an interpretation on a material plane only, but the spirituality and the transcendent quality of both of the pieces are quite evident. Another inspiring fact here is that the context and the scale of an artwork can change the reading of Islamic symbolism; it is then available to be in conversation with a non-Muslim audience as well.

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Re Union

“And to God are all things returned”8

My goal for the last five years has been to engage in a quest for meaning in my art through the use of a symbolic visual language. The essential goal of my research has been an attempt to align my art practice to the spiritual message of my faith. My practice reverberates with the act of worship and interprets it into a visual realm.

My work is primarily of an axial nature exploring, through simplified juxtaposition, both ends of reality- material and spiritual. It is an attempt to analyze an interaction and tension between inward and outward dimensions of existence and create a state of union and integration on a visual plane.

I have chosen to paint with acrylic on smooth boards because I wanted the painting medium and the surface to be muted. I construct my visual narrative largely on the basis of the symbols I use. The marks, lines and forms in my imagery imply a reality, which transcends their appearance.

These images, executed in a simplistic manner, are an interaction between a carefully chosen and limited color palette. The colors work to create an environment of harmony and peace. For example, ochre’s and oranges juxtaposed with and mauves symbolize the idea of reaching the point where heaven and earth meet, where day and night or the outward and inward unify.

The dichotomic nature of my echoes the narrative of duality of existence, which is in a profound need of reunification. I have employed the gestures and postures from the Islamic prayer to represent the similar state of duality in my life. My own set of symbols, like the fishhooks, entangled threads of the tassels of the and the drapes of my shirt seem to characterize the state of being. The state that is in profound need of liberating itself from the material world and attempts to establish a connection with the world of spirit. (see plates 1, 2, 4 and 9-12)

In Islam, knowledge is not complete when it is only textual knowledge through books, or in this case through visual representation; every action is required to be integrated and in communion with the active practice in one’s life. Thus, the application of spiritual knowledge through practicing it in one’s own life brings about the state of unity where contemplation and action are linked in a permanent

8 Al Quran 3:109, translation M. Pickthall 18

bond. In Islam, the ultimate goal for the human is to act according to the Will of God and to arrive at, through the process of self-purification, a state of knowledge where one can see God everywhere.

‘And to Allah belong the east and the west, so wherever you turn (yourselves or your faces) there is the Face of Allah9

The first step in the path leading me on a journey to a spiritual connection with God, without doubt, is worship. In Islam, the act of worship is obligatory and prescribed as a precisely and clearly defined model of prayer revealed directly by God to the Prophet Muhammad. Prayer is a physical detachment from the mundane and outward dimension of being in order to establish connections with inward reality in a purely spiritual manner.

Prayer in its pure form is contemplative and unitive which allows a believer to liberate him or herself from all the bondages and imperfection of this temporary abode. Prayer leads to salvation and deliverance of the soul from all the seductive attractions of the material world and leads the believer to a correct path.

Therefore, prayer becomes the first step that allows me to perceive the spiritual dimension of my life in order to purify myself through the act of transformation. The cycle of transformation completes when one reflects to the outward world on the basis of the knowledge acquired through contemplation.

Nasr best describes this marriage between the spiritually acquired wisdom by the act of contemplation and its active application on the human plane when he relates it to the famous medieval legend of the Seal of King Solomon, he writes,

In Islam, one of the symbols of the Universal Man, who embodies the full realization of the truth and in whom the dhikr (remembrance of God, invocation) has become fully operative, is the Seal of Solomon. The triangle with its base toward heaven symbolizes contemplation, and the other, in the reverse position, symbolizes action.10

9 Quran 2:115, Dr. Mohsin translation 10 S H Nasr, Islam and the Plight of Modern Man, Suhail Academy, Lahore, Pakistan 1999, p75 19

The two triangles also symbolize the state of being when Divinity from its vertical dimension intersects the human plane at its horizontal axis. This relationship can be witnessed in the first and foremost pillar of Islam, Shahada (the witness) ‘la ilaha illa (A)llah, Muhammad ur rasul (A)llah, which simply means ‘There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger’, this is a formula that can be compared as the Muslim equivalent to the defining symbol of Christian faith, the Cross. The Cross denotes the intersection of the heaven and earth, a vertical and horizontal, which is exactly what Shahada is doing. In the first phrase of Shahada it affirms a metaphysical truth of only God being God which is a vertical dimension and in the second phrase it intersect the divine plane on the physical dimension when it says ‘Muhammad is his Messenger’ and connects the heaven with earth.

My art practice talks about and contemplates the deliverance of the spiritual self from all the distractions of the material world in order to arrive at the state of the communion with divinity. Prayer for me becomes a subject in my art practice, which exemplifies the realization and accomplishment of spiritual enlightenment. It symbolically contributes to revolutionizing my art practice into an act of worship reverberating with the name of God and in the state of dhikr.11

My research allowed me to create a language derived from the symbolism behind the practice of prayer in Islam. My own set of symbols integrated into the imagery to form a dialogue between my own spiritual positions juxtaposed with a purified spiritual state.

There are certain visual elements I would like to discuss in this part of my paper as they construct the visual language for my narrative. My subject matter is directly informed by my experience of the act of transformation which reconnects me with the worship of God and which in turn leads me to the nearness of God.

Qalb e Salim (Sound Heart)

The day when wealth and sons avail not (any man) Save him who bringeth unto Allah a whole (sound) heart.12

11 Islamic devotional act of repeating God’s name or verses from Quran 12 Al Quran 26:88-89, translation M. Pickthall 20

The metaphors that deal with the heart are vastly used in world literature. It is the heart which the founders of all and sacred scriptures advised men and women to keep pure, as the condition of salvation and deliverance. According to the Muslims the heart is the centre of human consciousness and a spiritual core of human existence. It is the meeting place between the human and the celestial realms where the spirits resides.

A sound heart is one that is free of defects and spiritual blemishes. In the Holy Quran, God speaks of the heart ‘verily, in the remembrance of God [men's] hearts do find their rest.’13

The repetitive use of the form of a heart creates the rhythmic vibration in my paintings (see plates 15 to 18) representing the idea of dhikr (remembrance of God), which is an integral goal of all kinds of prayers. It is an effort to synchronize every beat of my heart with the remembrance of God. The heart, which finds its blossom with the act of dhikr in the prayer, becomes a fruit caused by the act of worship and the showering of Allah’s blessings. The fruit that nourishes the soul of a worshipper provides the remedy to all the spiritual blemishes.

The shape of the heart works as a motif in my paintings. The repetitive use of the motif of the heart creates a visual rhythm, which symbolizes praying to the rhythm of a rosary. The way the beads of a rosary runs through the fingers of a worshiper who is engaged with the remembrance of God; I place the motif of my heart to create the same kind of state of dhikr in a visual discourse.

The pattern also suggests a play of light in such a way that it seems as if the divine light is penetrating the space to make it defy gravity and elevate it to the higher spiritual dimensions.

The image of an inward Tree

‘Seest thou not how Allah coineth a similitude: A goodly saying, as a goodly tree, its root set firm, its branches reaching into heaven’14

The symbolism and metaphors linked with the symbolical concept of a tree is also a universal experience that is used throughout history among different civilization and world religions. All the emblematic images of the tree participate, in one way or another, to the ‘symbolism of the Center’.

13 Al Quran 13:28, translation M. Pickthall 14 Al Quran 14:24, translation M. Pickthall 21

The universal concept of the Cosmic Tree or Tree of Life and the mythical and religious interpretations participate in the same representation of the center. Cook describes the same symbolism:

All aspects of mankind’s ‘mythical behavior’ reflect an intense desire to grasp the essential reality of the world. This is particularly evident in man’s obsession with the origins of things, with which all myths are ultimately concerned. The centre is, first and foremost, the point of ‘absolute beginning’ where the latent energies of the sacred first broke through; where the supernatural beings of myth, or the gods and God of religion, first created man and the world. Ultimately all creation takes place at this point, which represents the ultimate source of reality. In the symbolic language of myth and religion it is often referred to as the ‘navel of the world’, ‘Divine Egg’, ‘Hidden Seed’ or ‘Root of Roots’.15

I started using the symbol of a tree even before I started my research at CoFA; the decision was an unconscious one. However, for my current works (see plates 8, 17, 18), the tree is employed with all its transcendent presence. It becomes a symbol of spiritual growth nurtured by God’s blessings and also denotes the notion of the centre. The quintessential image of the tree becomes a reflection of an Edenic state which, at once, becomes a point of interest in the image and attracts the outward to embrace the inward; it also traces an outward image of an inward reality as Lings state, ‘outward image of the inward Tree of Immortality, which grows in the garden of the heart, and is on the axis as a gateway to the Spirit.’16

The series of paintings that I have produced, using such premeditated universal symbols as the tree and the heart, are directly related to the practice of worship in Islam and the symbology related to prayer and the remembrance of God.

The Rug

The Rug, also known as the mat, is commonly used to mark the space and direction for prayer. The physical act of ‘prayer’ involves the systematic routine of body postures, which include Turkish prayer rug, late 16th century, standing, bowing, and prostrating of the worshiper. The divine Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

15 Roger Cook, The Tree of Life, Image for the Cosmos, Thames and Hudson, 1974, p 9 16 Martin Lings, The Book of Certainty, Cambridge, UK, Islamic Texts Society, 1992, p 28 22

word from the ‘book’, the Quran, is the medium of communication between the worshipper and the creator.

The Prayer rug is largely a rectangular mat, which a Muslim uses to distinguish the area that is going to be used for the act of worship. It works as a device to mark the direction of the prayer like a compass. Every Muslim faces the Ka’ba17 to recite the prayer; in a similar manner every mosque is also orientated in the direction of the Ka’ba.

The traditional design of a prayer rug also echoes the idea of the centre and the symbolic direction points to a heavenly environment. Its borders make a frame that encompasses the centre, which has a subliminal suggestion of unity and spirituality through visual interpretation.

As witnessed in the Rug series (see plates 1 to 6) the visual direction is always from the right to the left of the painting. This ocular direction corresponds to the orientation of the Arabic script which is the language of the Quran.

The circumambulation of the Ka’ba18 (tawaf) is also counterclockwise which keeps the left side of the body (the side which carries the heart) towards the Ka’ba. The circling is believed to demonstrate the unity of the believers in the worship of the One God as they all circle the ‘house of God’ in harmony.

In this series of paintings (see plates 1 – 6) two panels of boards are joined together to form a square, once again corresponding to the idea of unification and integration in the animate world of multiplicity and confusion. It resembles the basic structure of the Ka’ba, which literally means ‘cube’ in Arabic. Ka’ba, which is the spiritual centre for Muslims, becomes the focal point for all the pilgrims. Therefore, the idea of going back to the centre as a pilgrim is represented by the square format of my paintings.

The rug is not just a physical space in these images as it also works as a vehicle for my journey from the outward to the inward, like a flying carpet. This journey starts from the periphery of the existence and points to the central and essential realities of life.

17 Ka’ba is the geographical and spiritual center for the Islamic world also known as ‘the house of God’ 18 Tawaf is one of the rituals of pilgrimage when Muslims are to circumambulate the Ka’ba seven times in a counterclockwise direction. 23

The placement of the structure of a mehrab (sacred niche) with the rug (see plates 1, 3, 4 and 6) reinforces the idea of the direction because the mehrab is an essential device used to mark the direction of the prayer in just about every mosque in the . It is important to understand that the mehrab is derived from worldwide symbolism and its significance is completely reinforced in the Quran. ‘Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a shining star.19

The Mehrab works as a compass for the Muslim world and the material representation of the Qibla20. It not only points to the geographical direction, it is also a metaphor, which connects divinity to the earth. It helps in my imagery as it enables me to emulate the environment of a mosque and at the same time catches the divine light as it is mentioned in the Quran. The use of the idea of bareness in these images is again relates to the environment of a mosque which is principally empty and always in the mode of remembrance of God.

Similarly, the rug symbolizes a window and a doorway, which opens up into the world of spirits. By saying my prayers five times a day, I am able to keep myself connected to my spiritual self.

The prayer

The canonical Islamic prayer is the most important of the five fundamentals of Islam, as it is the only one to which the believer is required to perform every day.

The daily cycle of prayers not only punctuates the life of a believer with worship, it also in its symbolic sense illuminates the core of the Islamic faith. Not only is this cycle a personal discipline and a means by which the believer punctuates the day with worship, it also has a symbolic significance that illuminates the deepest roots of the Islamic faith. The cyclic nature of prescribed bodily postures and movements in the prayer are linked to the same symbolism. The symbolism of cyclic regeneration and the eternal return to the Edenic state has a significant place in Islamic discourse; it is a central theme on the basis of which Islam defines every action in this world is a preparation for the hereafter. This symbolic theme takes place in the cycles of the daily prayer times and in the cycles of the prayer gestures and movements.

19 Al Quran 24:35, Pickthall translation 20 The direction of the Ka’ba, the religious centre of the Muslim world 24

My paintings try to follow the same cyclic movement, which is an attempt to place the movement in harmony with the cosmic cycle. The visual movement created by the bodily movements in prayer, (see plates 9 to 12) tries to generate a rotational symmetry where the marks start to enter the visual plane from below and turns left for the process of purification and spiritual cleansing; and in the end it moves upward to be in the divine presence.

It is important to note that in the prayer series, the figures of the postures mostly appear in pairs. The pair represents the idea of the duality of existence and places the concept of transformation from the state of being to becoming. Therefore, these forms seem to liberate themselves from the worldly restrains in order to become something that is truly in the state of freedom (see plates 9 to 16).

My diptychs (see plates 17 and 18) represent the idea of permanence by replicating almost the same image on both the panels. It is like an assurance and a reinforcement of the belief which embodies in a certain idea occurring numerously yet within a swift moment. It corresponds to the structure of the units of prayer, which are mostly in pairs. The canonical prayers are always in sets of two, three or four units (rakahs), which contain the identical bodily movements and similar text from the Quran.

The two similar panels also represent the idea of the double spread of the Quran when it is open for recitation. What could be a more permanent symbol than the Quran for a Muslim? It flows into every dimension like a common thread in the fabric of the life of a Muslim.

In these diptychs, both panels tell the same story, as in the Holy Quran each page is equally illuminated with the presence of divine light. The Quran is the embodiment of divinity in its entirety, as it is written by the sacred pen of God Himself. The two images become one by holding the same idea of spiritual blossom and the elevation of the soul which the act of worship promises to deliver.

The diptychs, on the other hand, do not contain the temporal dimension of life; rather they revolve on a higher dimension to manifest a completely sacred environment. It seems as if the movement and the time in these images do not correspond to worldly measures. It is an arrival at a specific point and space where everything is protected by the Divine presence.

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Conclusion

The experience of my stay in Australia, being away from a familiar environment and my family, also resulted in the profound need of spiritual transformation in my life. This experience consequently initiated a significant transformation in my studio practice as well. The art I have produced during this period gave way to the application of contemplation and introspection in my visual discourse. The harmony between the act of transformation in my life and my art practice creates equilibrium for the state of spiritual unrest.

Although my current practice discusses my own spiritual situation, it is far from being controlled and being limited by my own subjective self. My images appear to be universal and in conversation with a larger audience.

The problem of seeking spirituality in art is not special to an Islamic or to a religious discourse as this investigation is seen and understood in an almost similar spirit whenever and wherever it is questioned. Essentially, the varied artistic expressions addressing the same question are profoundly connected with a common thread because in tracing the spiritual relationship only inner meaning is taken into account. As Kandinsky says “the relationship in art are not necessarily ones of outward form, but are founded on inner sympathy of meaning”. This relationship with the spiritual and non- material realities sometimes gives way to an interpretation in a similar outward form.

When I place my own spiritual question in a contemporary and western (or global) art context, I observe many artists seeking to establish a connection with spirituality through the similar contemplative nature of art in their art practice. The emergence of abstraction throughout the twentieth century continually nourished by the elements from universally understood common pool of mystical and spiritual ideas.

The American painter, Robert Motherwell sees his art and of his contemporaries as “… one’s effort to wed oneself to the universe, to unify one-self through union.”21 According to Piet Mondrian, the presence of grid in his art and the tension between the vertical and horizontal represent the struggle toward unity of cosmic dualities and the religious symmetry undergirding the material universe. Some artists abandoned iconography and turned to more radical abstract works to place the question of spirituality in a broader context. Mark Rothko, Ad Reinhardt and Barnett Newman were

21 Robert Motherwell, Catalogue of the exhibition of his works at the Museum of Modern Art, 1965, p.45 26

creating rich, dark and imageless works addressing the idea of void and nothingness to symbolize Divinity.

I have intentionally taken a position to understand and reflect upon Islam from an inward dimension rather than comprehending Islam only from its outward manifestations. During the period of my research at CoFA, I have gained focus to recognize my position as an artist. My practice has now taken a path that is truly connected to the call from within. The spiritual connection that I have managed to establish between my life and the art I produce will now be a driving force for my future projects.

It is needless to say that the images I produce are the direct result of the act of contemplation and my work is deeply linked with my religious beliefs; however, the symbolic visual interpretation of my religious quest manifested itself in a somewhat universal and contemporary artistic expression. As a result I hope these images communicate a state of contemplation, perhaps on a different level, to a universal audience.

At this point in my life, whilst going through a process of spiritual transformation, the paths leading from my religion to art and from art to my religion must be taken truthfully and in faith. This dialogue between art and religion is of a specific nature as Pattison argues, ‘… this is not the same as identifying one with the other, or, more negatively, reducing one to the other. The dialogue between art and religion is to be just that: a dialogue, with each partner seeking to appreciate the specific contribution of the other.’22

My research for MFA was precisely focused and draws on the underlying symbolism from Islam and Islamic art. Most of the symbols that I have used worked as vehicle to construct my personal narrative. I have realized, after coming across a wide array of writings about Islamic spirituality and Islamic art, that there is a vast knowledge available in Islamic discourse for analysis.

I am confident that the spirituality of Islam and its earthly manifestations have a fertile intellectual ground for my future investigations. There is a large amount of knowledge in Islamic art, which can be deciphered and reinterpreted according to contemporary artistic dialogue.

My personal interest in traditional miniature painting and its contemporary reflections has increased manifold during my research. I have plans to learn the exact technique of miniature painting in order to grasp the sensibility and sensitivity of on a deeper level. Miniature painting can open new venues

22 George Pattison, Art, Modernity and Faith: Towards a Theology of Art, Macmillan, UK, 1991, p. 8 27

for me as I am interested in incorporating its characteristics to a western approach of studio practice.

In the end I would like to state that my MFA research provided me with a large amount of substance and the means to translate them into images. After returning to Pakistan, I will be reflecting on different aspect of life with a new and fresh vision.

‘If there is some new whisper of the spirit in the silence of our present wilderness, we must be both light enough and flexible enough to hear and to follow.’23

23 George Pattison, Art, Modernity and Faith: Towards a Theology of Art, Macmillan, UK, 1991, p. 9 28

Plates

Plate 1

Rug series, Untitled I, 2008 40X40 cm Acrylic and graphite on canvas board 29

Plate 2

Rug series, Untitled II, 2008 40X40 cm Acrylic on canvas board 30

Plate 3

Rug series, Untitled III, 2008 40X40 cm Acrylic on board 31

Plate 4

Rug series, Untitled IV, 2008 40X40 cm Acrylic on board 32

Plate 5

Rug series, Untitled V, 2008 40X40 cm Acrylic on canvas board 33

Plate 6

Rug series, Untitled VI, 2008 40X40 cm Acrylic on canvas board 34

Plate 7

Rug series, Untitled VII, 2009 41.5X33.5 cm Watercolor, gouache and dry pigment on paper 35

Plate 8

Rug series, Untitled VIII, 2009 41.5X33.5 cm Watercolor, gouache and dry pigment on paper 36

Plate 9

Prayer series, Inwardly I, 2009 30.5X30.5 cm Acrylic and collage on clay board 37

Plate 10

Prayer series, Inwardly II, 2009 30.5X30.5 cm Acrylic and collage on clay board 38

Plate 11

Prayer series, alignment I, 2009 30.5X30.5 cm Acrylic, graphite, photo transfer and gold leaf on clay board 39

Plate 12

Prayer series, alignment I, 2009 30.5X30.5 cm Acrylic, graphite, photo transfer and gold leaf on clay board

40

Plate 13

Prayer series, elevation I, 2009 30.5X30.5 cm Acrylic on clay board 41

Plate 14

Prayer series, elevation II, 2009 30.5X30.5 cm Acrylic on clay board 42

Plate 15

Diptych: purification I, 2009 20X20 cm (each) Acrylic on board 43

Plate 16

Diptych: purification II, 2009 20X20 cm (each) Acrylic on board 44

Plate 17

Diptych: submit I, 2009 40X40 cm (each) Acrylic on board 45

Plate 18

Diptych: submit II, 2009 40X40 cm (each) Acrylic on board

46

Bibliography

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—. Islamic Art and Spirituality. Golgonooza Press, 1987.

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