Thursday, April 30, 2015

What does Islamic Art and Architecture mean to you?



Salma Said


I asked a few people what Islamic art and architecture meant to them and surprisingly I got many unexpected as well as expected answers. People either explained to me what Islamic art and architecture was or they drew it. I handed out A4 plain white papers and pencils and people just drew what they though of Islamic art or architecture. It was a very interesting experience to see what people thought of Islamic art and architecture. One girl told me that Islamic art doesn’t exist because art in Islam is forbidden which was thought provoking because in this day and age I didn’t expect to run into such a matter. Another girl told me that Islamic art and architecture is how Muslims try to convey their artistic side while incorporating bits of Islam. I also asked my friend’s sister to draw what she thought was Islamic art and architecture. She drew a mosque, the Kaaba, the Qur'an, and a girl praying. When I asked her why she drew a girl praying she had said that praying is a form of Islamic art. And that was one of the things that has been said to me and left me speechless. Before taking this course I though Islamic art merely consisted of calligraphy and Islamic architecture includes only mosques and the Kaaba. However after taking this course I now know that Islamic art and architecture is very wide and diverse with many different designs and patterns. As well as Islamic art and architecture includes different styles: ancient, modern, and contemporary.

The pieces on the board were drawn in pencil, markers, and charcoal.


Biography:

Salma Said, 21, Egyptian raised in Saudi Arabia studying International Relations in the UAE. My interests include politics and feminism. I also enjoy watching TV series such as Suits and Breaking Bad.

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