By Fatima Hmeicho
My
work was inspired by the ideas and artworks of Bihnam al-Agzeer[5].
He is an Iraqi Christian calligrapher who uses his art to promote peace between
Muslims and Christians. He and his family were forced to leave Mosul because of
the accelerated violence towards the Christian community in Iraq. Despite
losing his home, he worked on creating peaceful art to bring the Iraqi
community, Muslims and Christians, together. I was inspired to choose a concept
that is taught in Islam and Christianity to promote peace and co-existence.
Process
So,
I designed my sentence and ensured its vertical symmetry. Then, I applied tape
over it because I want the message of mercy to be pure (white). Later, I used a
sponge to create a special effect by the colors (blue & green) indicating
heaven and its rivers. Once the colors dried up, I removed the tape and
outlined the words with blue and green glitter.
Biography
Description of the Artwork
Title
|
Be Merciful!
|
Media
|
A2 Paper supported by cartoon board
Acrylic paint
Glitter glue
|
Dimensions
|
42 x 59 cm
|
Technique
|
Blending paint by latex sponge
|
Style
|
Vertical Arabic Calligraphy
|
Message
Ever since I was a little girl, my mom has taught me
to be kind to all people whether they were worthy or not. While growing up, I
realized that being merciful is not just a cultural concept but also religious.
In school, I learnt that different religions encourage people to show mercy to
other people and animals. Also, I read how it helps in building strong
relationships with people, hence building peaceful societies. However, this was
not the only reason that encouraged me to relate peace to mercy. Being exposed
to what is happening in the Arab world today, especially in Syria, hurts me and
provokes me to act, to save the helpless, and to restore peace. What actually
breaks my heart is the scared looks on the children's faces in war zones. Fortunately,
I was given the chance to fight violence with peaceful art. Therefore, I chose
to represent the relationship between Islam and Peace through Mercy.
My artwork is based on the Prophet Mohammad's words.
The hadith goes as follows
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) kissed his grandson Hasan bin 'Ali in the
presence of Aqra' bin Habis. Thereupon Aqra' remarked: "I have ten
children, and I have never kissed any one of them." The Messenger of Allah
(ﷺ) cast a
glance upon him and said, "He who does not show mercy to others, will
not be shown mercy."[1]
This is not the only hadith that encourage people/ Muslims to be
kindhearted. The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also said: “The merciful are shown
mercy by the All-Merciful. Show mercy to those on earth, and He Who is in
heaven will show mercy unto you”[2]
Both hadiths relate God's mercy on us in this world and the Hereafter to
our mercy to humankind and animals. This shows that Islam strongly calls us to Be
Merciful unlike what people think. In many courses, I had to listen to
people claiming that Islam spread by force which contradicts its message 'Al
salam' although history tells us that Abu Bakr specifically told Yazid ibn
Abi-Sufian “I give you ten commandments: don’t kill a woman, or a child, or an
old person, and don’t cut trees, or ruin dwellings, or slay a sheep but for
food. Don't burn palm trees, or drown them. And don’t be spiteful or unjust.”[3]
All of this proves that Islam calls for peace and mercy.
Inspiration
The choice of calligraphy was based on my attempt to perfect my soul
since "calligraphy is the geometry of the spirit"[4]. Also
through the course, I associated calligraphy with religious productions,
especially the Quran, which inspired me to further associate calligraphy with
Hadith. However, whoever knows the rules of calligraphy, knows that I broke
those rules. All I wanted was to produce something different that demonstrates
my message and provokes people's interest. I thought I can link the limitless
application of calligraphy with the endless applications of mercy.
My
work was inspired by the ideas and artworks of Bihnam al-Agzeer[5].
He is an Iraqi Christian calligrapher who uses his art to promote peace between
Muslims and Christians. He and his family were forced to leave Mosul because of
the accelerated violence towards the Christian community in Iraq. Despite
losing his home, he worked on creating peaceful art to bring the Iraqi
community, Muslims and Christians, together. I was inspired to choose a concept
that is taught in Islam and Christianity to promote peace and co-existence.
Process
So,
I designed my sentence and ensured its vertical symmetry. Then, I applied tape
over it because I want the message of mercy to be pure (white). Later, I used a
sponge to create a special effect by the colors (blue & green) indicating
heaven and its rivers. Once the colors dried up, I removed the tape and
outlined the words with blue and green glitter.
Biography
I am, Fatima Hmeicho, a senior business student
majoring in Accounting, Economics, and Finance and graduating in May 2016. I
was born in Syria where I received most of my education. I moved to Dubai in
2012 with my family to follow my dreams of being an outstanding business women.
[2] IslamReligion.com. URL: http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/1183/viewall/my-mercy-prevails-over-my-wrath/
[3] Islamic Research Foundation International Inc. URL: http://www.irfi.org/articles3/articles_4601_4700/war%20ethics%20in%20islamhtml.htm
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