Artist Statement

This new series of work was inspired from my recent exhibition “A written word, Arabic Calligraphy through the Ages”.  The words used in this piece are derived from a decorative stucco motif that is repeated throughout the walls of the Alhambra Palace in Granada.  A rough translation of the Arabic follows that “Allah is the only winner”, which was the motto used by certain rulers to suggest one should act with a certain level of humility.  Even defeat can be fatalistically rationalized in Islam whereby the ultimate victor will only be god.

My calligraphy works are based on a personal interpretation of “Tajrid” (Arabic for minimalism).  I have always been interested in the filtration process of ideas and messages into their purest from.  This is then used as the basis from which my work commences. 

My work does have some contemporary parallels however continues to have age old references. I find the work of Japanese artist On Kawara who made a long series of date paintings to be very interesting.

The colors of my paintings also have their own significance.  The black and white paintings are bought down to their simplist form highlighting the “Tajrid” or minimalism to the most basic elements.   The combination of blue and gold are inspired by a famous Quran from Qayrawan in Tunisia. Blue is also the color of the sea, the sky and the wind and an extension of God’s infinite mercy towards mankind. Gold is a color associated with richness and royalty. The red and purple combination are also inspired from mosaics that date back to 504 AD.