SALAT

By Riya Berri

The title of my artwork is "Salat" which means "Prayer". I chose this title because it represents my painting as there is a silhouette of man shown praying in front of a mosque. This title is also very symbolic as it is the first pillar of Islam. The style I used is free hand drawing and painted it with oil paints. I used the “stroking” method in which I used a thin brush and kept stroking it to give a strong impact for the blue sky. I also used “knife painting” to show the rusty beige effect for the mosque with a pink base to add color.  The knife used has a pointed tip, and a lowered trowel which suited my painting on canvas. The blade can be of different lengths and shapes: triangular, rectangular or more diamond like. I also tried to give the floor a marble impression by painting it grey and using a sponge to make it realistic. I intentionally used the blue sky as “blue” is depicted as peace for me. I did not give my figure an expressions or facial features as I wanted my audience to concentrate on the bigger picture rather than the smaller details.

 

My statement:

 

We were asked to draw anything related to 'Peace and Islam" which actually mean the same thing. The first thing that came to my mind was praying because that’s the first thing you do to devote yourself to God. The importance of the prayer in Islam cannot be understated.  The importance of the prayers lies in the fact that no matter what actions one performs in his life, the most important aspect is one’s relationship to God, that is, one’s faith (imaan), God-consciousness (taqwa), sincerity (ikhlas) and worship of God (ibaadah).  This relationship with God is demonstrated and put into practice, as well as improved and increased, by the prayer.  Therefore, if the prayers are sound and proper, the rest of the deeds will be sound and proper; and if the prayers are not sound and proper, then the rest of the deeds will not be sound and proper, as the Prophet himself stated.

Praying makes me feel at peace, it makes me feel at ease. It helps me talk to someone and let out all my feelings. It helps me realize that there is a greater being in this world that is looking out for us and that is God.

The artist who influenced me:

Vancouver-based artist Mohamed Somani is an artist that inspired me to paint this piece. Somani finds inspiration in the Qur'an and Muslim history, and evokes some of these stories on canvas.  I loved the simplicity of each of Somani’s paintings; it has a powerful message even though it’s quite simple. That’s what I look for in an artist, someone to inspire you to draw and paint better in the most beautiful ways. I looked at a few artists who drew the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal would be significant as I tried to replicate the tarnished look for my mosque in the painting. A few artists had mastered “knife painting” really brilliantly and I was truly inspired to try it out.

My biography:

My name is Riya Berry and I am originally from India but born and brought up in Dubai. I’ve grown up and evolved with Dubai itself, I have seen it change drastically and become bigger and better each year. Being such a multicultural society, Dubai has taught me how to respect each one’s culture. Being in this class reminded me of how much I love the culture here and how much it has influenced me as a person. Since I am Indian, I do not know much about Islam and neither so much about art but being here and actually drawing and painting about “Peace and Islam” really brought the best out of me.

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References:

http://www.lacma.org/islamic_art/intro.htm

http://www.muslimheritage.com/article/introduction-islamic-art

http://www.theismaili.org/heritage-expressions/artists-draw-inspiration-their-muslim-faith-and-culture

Terrorism Has No Religion

 Shriya Sanjev

The image is created using Adobe Photoshop and square Kufic script. The script has been exaggerated to fit the shape of a Mosque to represent the Muslim community; it is a form of symbolism. The image is rendered in JPEG with dimensions of 2000 x 2000 pixels, and 72 dpi. The background is an image of crushed paper merged with an image of plain brown paper to enhance the crumpled look.

The title has great significance to my project, and it relates directly to my message. I have chosen to title my project as “Terrorism Has No Religion”, which is written in both square Kufic script and English for everyone to understand. The meaning behind it is very simple, Islam is not directly linked to terrorism, in other words terrorism is secular, and follows no religion whatsoever.

My project is based on the most common stereotype against Islam, which is terrorism. It is believed that all Muslims are terrorists but with the aid of my project I want to help deconstruct this very stereotype. I have been an avid supporter of the Muslim community and this is primarily because I have been residing in a Muslim country all my life and I consider this place my home even though I am not Muslim myself. Living amongst the Muslim community, I have first hand experience towards the kindness and generosity extended to us foreigners and non-Muslims by welcoming us into their homeland. My main aim is to educate people on the basic principle of terrorism, that is, it is secular. Secular means following no religion, there is no specific religion followed by terrorists, they range from Hindus and Muslims to Christians and Jews etc. If we observe from a literal point of view, almost every religion houses terrorists but this is not the basis of terrorism; terrorism is based on power and authority, not religion. 

One of my inspirations is the visual artist Shirin Neshat. She is an Iranian visual artist who is based in New York and works mainly with film, video and photography. She uses the art of calligraphy with monochromatic photography to show women empowerment. She also uses Islamic art in her work to undermine the stereotypes against Islam. Some of her work can be seen at the world reknowned Guggenheim museum in New York.

I am a junior in the American University in Dubai, studying Visual Communication with my focus on Graphic Design. My degree is a direct representation of what I try to portray with my artwork, I want to communicate with people visually. Coming from India, I have an appreciation for beauty and a keen sense for color and design. My personality is quite a colorful palette in itself, I am always vibrant and on the lookout to meet new people. I want to make my mark on people with my work, but also touch them on a human level.

Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent." - Dalai Lama

It’s my LIFE

 Gaurav Gurani

I am Gaurav Gurnani, an Indian born in Spain, brought up in Dubai, studied in America and has now moved back to Dubai. Traveling the world is my favorite hobby and I believe that the world follows one religion, and that is globalization. Connecting people and eliminating differences is what is key to success to a better and more technological advanced world.

This artwork is a graffiti style of art work. It is inspired by Muhamad Ali, an English street artist. He is well known for combining street art with Islamic script and patterns. His art is inspired by Islam, it carries a universal message that people of all faiths and backgrounds can appreciate.

After researching about his art, I decided to create something of my own. There are stereo types about every culture in this world and in this modern time, such behavior is considered childish and of low standard. As Muhamad Ali, I decided to put a message out there where I want to tell people “live and let live”. No one has the right to judge someone based on race, color and religion.

In this modern world we all follow one principle and that it humanity. Every individual has the right to believe in what he/she thinks is right and live with peace in harmony with his/her fellow human beings. We all should have one moto and that is improve humanity and help the underprivileged.

The reason I chose this style of art is because it represents one thing I believe in and that is, however modern you are, your morals and what describe you. Being from a newer generation/non-orthodox culture does not mean that you do not have good morals or values. As no one has the right to judge you, you have no right to judge others.

DO NOT JUDGE.