Bayt Al Fann Profile picture
Mar 19, 2022 25 tweets 16 min read Read on X
Geometric patterns are one of the most distinguishing features of Islamic art, thought to reflect the language of the universe & the greatness of creation

Today, artists are reinterpreting this traditional artform in new ways

A thread on 24 artists redefining Islamic geometry…
1/ After completing a bachelor’s in accounting & finance, Indian artist Antara Biswas took the plunge, switched careers and pursued what she loved doing most, creating art inspired by Islamic geometry…

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2/ Artist @SKbydesign work tells stories which are about celebrating something long forgotten, and a reclamation narratives. She is interested in colonial legacies, social justice & using art as a tool for change…
3/ UK based artist & educator @samira_mian has a passion for Islamic art & culture.

An experienced teacher of mathematics with Islamic geometry, she has created a contemporary take on tradition, promoting her art both in the UK & internationally…

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4/ Shaimaa Osman is a Dutch-born, North African Sudanese junior doctor & artist based in Devon.

She is renowned for her creative approach to Islamic art, through an exploration of geometry, calligraphy, maps & collage…

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5/ Alifia Khan is a self taught artist, with a passion for Islamic geometry. She found her interest in Islamic art during the COVID-19 pandemic…

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6/ For artist Ameet Hindocha, developing a multi-disciplinary practice with geometry at its core has allowed him to tap into an ancient but living tradition of design, and explore it with the tools & technology today…

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7/ Influenced by her Persian roots and Iranian heritage, artist Ghazaleh Khayat specializes in Islamic geometry and pattern. Architecture & monuments are a key source of inspiration behind her detailed works…

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8/ Artist @elisadeaneart impeccable use of colours and detailed brushwork are inspired by Islamic geometry & the miniature painting traditions of India & Iran…

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9/ Clarissa Grandi is a UK-based geometric artist & teacher of mathematics.

@c0mplexnumber is influenced by Islamic pattern & explores the interplay between rigid, regular, human-made geometry and nature’s organic, chaotic geometries & symmetries…

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10/ Ingrid Parrington is an American physician who has been turning Islamic geometric patterns into stained glass since 2018. A pivotal trip to the UAE exposed her to the beauty of Islamic art, and she has been a devout student of geometry ever since…

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11/ Whilst studying mathematics at university, artist @em_3190 found inspiration in Islamic geometry. After learning more about Islamic illumination, she developed a unique style bringing a contemporary twist to this traditional art-form…

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12/ For visual artist Margi Lake, the beauty, mystery & genius of Islamic geometric patterns is timeless & universal. They express the principles & realities that govern the cosmos, the natural world & human nature…

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13/ Known for her ingenious use of colour & mastery of Islamic geometry, biomorphic patterns & illumination, @EsraAlhamalArt is an artist & researcher based in London

Her work experiments & reinterprets traditional practices in contemporary ways…

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14/ Rajen Astho completed his MA degree in music composition in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2010. Around the same time he discovered his second big passion, the art of Islamic geometric pattern, which blossomed over the next few years…

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15/ Sandy Kurt's passion for Islamic geometry began in 2016 with an online course, an old compass and some cheap watercolours.

Her complex geometry and sense of colour has inspired `` thousands of artists to get started…

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16/ Canadian artist @oalanqar is inspired by Islamic geometry & indigenous art.

She believes it is important for people to connect with their roots, & makes connections to culture & heritage through her art…

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17/ Artist @halimacassell is one of the UK’s most distinctive, & dynamic ceramicists & sculptors.

Her work is instantly recognizable due to her bold designs, crisp carving & intuitive understanding inspired by geometry, architecture & nature…

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18/ Aziza Iqbal is an Indian Islamic visual artist based in Doha, Qatar

A passion for sacred geometry, Aziza uses both traditional & digital media to create vibrant, contemporary geometric compositions, drawn & painted using classical tools & techniques…
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19/ Bryn Edmonston is a self-taught artist specializing in colorful geometric layered paper cutouts, putting a contemporary twist on an ancestral art form. Her work is inspired by the tiling and plaster carvings of Southern Spain…

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20/ Ceramic artist Paul Barchilon creates intricate designs that take us on a voyage of discovery within the circle.

He found his niche in Moroccan art & from within a 1300 year old tradition of Islamic geometric design…

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21/ For British Muslim Artist @shaheenkahmed empathy is central to her practice. Islamic geometry is core to her work, & she explores social justice using maps as a tool for conversation…

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22/ British Muslim artist & brandalism activist @Teakster is shaping our understanding of contemporary Islamic art today.

He connects communities by challenging perceptions of space, replacing outdoor advertising with beautiful artwork…

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23/ Working at the intersection of art and science, @matthewshlian describes himself as a “paper engineer.” His use of both geometry and paper has defined his craft, with drawings, prints & sculpture that are unique in their manifestation…

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24/ British artist @zarahkhussain combines contemporary digital art with a training in hand drawn Islamic geometry. Her work encompasses animations made with code, interactive apps, painting, paper & sculpture…

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More from @BaytAlFann

Jan 19
Shah-i-Zinda is one Samarkand’s most beloved sites, which contains some of the richest tile work in the world. The magnificent architecture draws inspiration from multiple periods & styles, taking you back through time & across cultures
 
A thread on the beauty of Shah-i-Zinda… Image
1/ The Shah-i-Zinda ensemble includes mausoleums, mosques & other ritual buildings of 11-15th & 19th centuries. The name Shah-i-Zinda (meaning The living king) is connected with the legend that Qutham ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH is buried here

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2/ Shah-i-Zinda is a world-famous example of a continuously constructed historical site. Over 1,000 years ago, it was founded with a single religious monument.  Between the 11th & 19th centuries, mosques & mausoleums were continuously added

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Read 20 tweets
Jan 17
From Spain to Azerbaijan, to Germany to Bosnia, Europe has some of the finest mosques.

The presence of Islam in Europe is not a new phenomenon, with Muslims residing in the continent as early as the 8th century.

Here are 24 mosques across Europe #JummahMubarak

A thread… Image
1/ Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque, Mostar, Bosnia

Dates back to 1617 & features numerous multicolored windows, a minaret with a lookout spot & a courtyard with several tombs. Although the original Ottoman mosque was heavily damaged during the attacks of the 1990s it has been restored Image
2/ The Shah Jahan Mosque, Woking, England

This is the first purpose built mosque that was built in the UK.

It was built in 1889 by Dr Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner, an orientalist of Jewish descent from Hungary. Money was donated by Begum Shah Jahan, the Nawab Begum of Bhopal. Image
Read 25 tweets
Jan 15
Welcome to Al-Mutanabbi Street the ‘Book Market of Baghdad’, where books remain in the street at night because Iraqis say:

“The reader does not steal and the thief does not read.”

A thread on the rich heritage of the historic book market on Al-Mutanabbi Street… Image
1/ Al-Mutanabbi Street is the historic center of Baghdad bookselling, that dates back to the time of the Abbasids. Located near the old quarter of Baghdad, Al-Mutanabbi Street was Baghdad’s first book traders’ market. Image
2/ Al-Mutanabbi Street has been, since time immemorial, the historic heart and soul of the Baghdad literary and intellectual community. Image
Read 12 tweets
Jan 13
Libraries developed in the Islamic Golden Age due to a commitment to literacy & seeking knowledge. One of the oldest libraries in the world Al-Qarawiyyin library, was founded by a Muslim woman, more than 12 centuries ago!

A thread on the greatest libraries in Islamic history… Image
1/ Al-Qarawiyyan Library, Fez, Morocco
 
Founded by a Muslim woman, Fatima El-Fihriya in 859, it is one of the oldest libraries in the world & the oldest library in Africa. It also holds the distinction of being the world’s oldest working library, & is still in use today… Image
1.1/ The Al-Qarawiyyan Library houses a collection of 4,000 rare books & ancient Arabic manuscripts written by renowned scholars of the region. The manuscripts include a 9th century version of the Quran and a manuscript on Islamic jurisprudence written by philosopher Averroes. Image
Read 25 tweets
Jan 12
Designed to imitate the heavens, Islamic gardens are lush oases of scent, water and sacred geometry. They are a cool place of rest and a reminder of paradise.

Here are 20 beautiful Islamic gardens from across the world…

A thread…. Image
1/ Gardens @CambCentMosque

A harmonious balance between Islamic structure & relaxed English herbaceous and naturalistic planting. A concern for sustainability, biodiversity & insect-friendly planting has also been a constant theme in the selection of plants. Image
@CambCentMosque 2/ Jardin Majorelle, Morocco

The garden, started in 1924, contains a psychedelic desert mirage of 300 plant species from five continents. Image
Read 21 tweets
Jan 11
The colour blue (al-azraq) in Islamic tradition often signifies the impenetrable depths of the universe, and turquoise blue is thought to have mystical qualities.

Here are 24 beautiful Islamic buildings & mosques, designed using the colour blue…

A thread… Image
1/ Jalil Khayat Mosque, Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq

The largest mosque in the city, it was begun by Jalil Khayat who died in 2005 & completed in 2007 by his sons in memory of their father. The blue style resembles the Mosque of Muhammad Ali in Cairo & Blue mosque in Istanbul Image
2/ Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Sohar, Oman

Inaugurated in 2018 & influenced by Persian & central Asian blue Islamic architectural styles with touches of traditional Omani architectural elements that make it unique Image
Read 25 tweets

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