By Nouran Abdelrahman
سَلَامٌ قَوْلًا مِن رَّبٍّ رَّحِيمٍ “Peace,
a word from a Merciful Lord”, one of the most soothing and harmonious phrases
in the Quran. It has no intention but to transmit the main message of Islam:
Peace and Love. And when I read this verse the first thing that came into my
head was enlightenment, light, white, and pure.
Through
the thought of these words, an image of what could express these beautiful
terms within Islamic context appeared. The product of this image was a
combination of ‘Islamic architecture’ features, and lighting effects. One of
the most prominent contemporary artists, who influenced this art project, and
also used lighting, was Julien Breton. Julien Breton is known for creating
marvelous art pieces through a mix of light, photography, choreography and
calligraphy. Breton, even though influenced by the Islamic calligraphy,
implemented this technique to produce latin phrases. Similarly, I have decided
to approach this art piece the same way. It was a mix of arabesque pattern,
lighting adjustment, and mashrabiyya effect.
First,
I drew the pattern and the verse digitally so that it would be later on cut.
Second, after it was cut and stuck, I created a small raised platform in order
to insert the light source properly. Third, the cube was mounted on the
platform, and a black background was at the back that reflects the light, which
is an image of the patterns. The room in which the pictures in was darkened in
order to get the maximum amount of light and dark contrast.
The
end result of this project displayed my portrayal of the Islam and peace
symbolism. I chose the shape of the cube, because it is pure and clean. It also
represents the most important worship place for Muslims, the Kaaba. The
arabesque pattern played a great role in the light reflection. This penetration
of light to the blunt and eminent darkness of humanity (outside) is saved by
the pure and beautiful light if Islam. The verse also glimmers through dark and
enlightens the hearts and paths of those who need to be guided through god’s
path. The verse is a tranquil message that shows how beautiful, peaceful and
artistic Islam is.
The
purpose of this art production is mainly to spread and elaborate on a message
that has been on and on repeated. Islam is neither terrorizing nor
discriminating, in fact, no religion is. However, this false consensus that Islam is no peace religion has been reemphasized by the Western world. No
religion is ever harmful; in fact, it’s a way to guide you to peace, love,
respect and, of course, life. Hence, those who harm in the name of religion do
not belong to it. As a person that
experienced multicultural societies throughout the years, people are not
virtuous from their religion but because of whom they are.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My
name is Nouran Yehia, and I am Egyptian. I am a third year architecture student
and currently 19 of age. I have lived in Dubai for nearly 16 years, and I
absolutely love it.
References:
·
"Julien
Breton – Kaalam | Art of Calligraphy Calligraphie, Light Painting, Calligraphe,
Graff, Graffiti, Performance, Live." Julien
Breton – Kaalam | Art of Calligraphy Calligraphie, Light Painting, Calligraphe,
Graff, Graffiti, Performance, Live. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
·
"Stunning
Arabic Light Calligraphy by Julien Breton." Colossal. N.p., 23 July 2015.
Web. 01 Apr. 2016.
