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This newsletter will be worth waiting for. But first I want to say sorry for staying quiet for most of this year. Here is why.
Now last year we were glad to be rid of 2022 if you recall. I adopted the word 'embrace' for 2023 as I choose a word for every year. I wanted to hold my place and own my gifts. And the Universe has delivered. Alhamdullillah. Those of you who know me well will know how passionate I am about the sacred context of my practice. This year I tried to inculcate ikhlas and ihsan into my practice. Sincerity and excellence requires resolve and focus and it was not an easy journey. Many a time I fall and fail. Alone, distracted, tears, fears all roll into a cacophony of emotions. But along the way magic was unravelling.
This has been an epic year. 2023 started with an invitation to collaborate on 12 miniature paintings for a royal suite for His Majesty King Charles III. While waiting to start those, I began the the year with my novel course on the patterns of prophets' mosques. This was an incredible journey and so significant now. I hosted historian Professor Mohammad Ghosheh from Palestine to talk about the patterns of Al Alqsa mosque - a mosque that belongs to all prophets. An event that many of you attended, and you will remember the poignant discussion and the importance of his work of painstakingly documenting everything decorative of that mosque. Now we know more than ever how important this work will be. Whilst I was teaching that course, we were witnessing the preparations for the coronation for HM King Charles III.
In April just on the eve of Ramadan I got a call asking whether despite Ramadan, I would be able to work on a carpet commission in honour of the Coronation of His Majesty. Of course, I kept my cool and shrieked out "YESSSSSSSS!!!!" (LOL). I think after putting the phone down I was in a state of delirium. Could scarcely believe it. I graduated in 2009, if you had told me 14 years from then I would be doing not one but several royal commissions....I feel humbled and honoured. I offered a prayer of thanks and wept whilst in prostration. I did not know how to say thank you. I realised the thank you was in producing excellent work.
Fast forward 8 months. I am nearing the end of this epic carpet design. I cannot say too much as it is still in process and there is protocol. But I can tell you this, I have spent the last few months obsessed, researching, drawing, evaluating, calculating, and purifying the sketches. Remember it all starts with a single point and a circle. The rest is an evolving story that will span 15 metres long and 6 metres wide. This carpet is an Afghan carpet, and my skills are required to define and deliver a uniquely Afghan patterned carpet that holds its Timurid DNA whilst blending in within the classical Georgian architectural setting of the Castle. In essence, I have embarked on a scholastic journey that requires rigorous and almost surgical strokes to distinguish the Afghan from the Persian, in carpet terms. This has been the most riveting analytical work I have done to date. It will result in a contemporary hybrid design of an Islamic carpet that retains its authenticity yet embraces the regency elegance of its abode. Some of the sketches were almost scientific lab experiments, taking a motif from the Castle gardens, beautifully extracted by one of the designers on the team. My job was to stylise these into recognisably Timurid motifs. This project has taught me to understand the scope and skills that transcend the genre of painting carpet pages or islamic manuscripts. Scale, density have a different meaning in unfolding this tapestry of design, colour and harmony. Please see the video enclosed. This has changed the way I work, forever. And I deem 2023 the year of alignment of my calling, my thoughts and my dreams. I am immensely grateful to Allah SWT. And Also immensely grateful for the Turquoise Mountain Team, led by Dr Thalia Kennedy for these incredible commissions. Last year I prepared work for the Hijra exhibition, following the patterns of Prophet Mohammad's mosque in Medina(pbuh). For me this year I gained another patron. On the one hand I worked for a great spiritual patron and on the other a great worldly patron. Kings in different worlds. My cup runneth over.
The year I also delivered a talk on the TAO of Islamic Art and then finished a series of Mughal miniatures for His Majesty's royal suite in Central London.
I am so glad to be able to share this with you. The journey has been undulated with drama here and there. A constant juggle of priorities. The journey has been lonely, If I have been silent I seek your forgiveness. I should have written more frequently. I had to choose wisely how to balance time and my energy between domestic duties, work, family and friends. I was not perfect. I had to be laser focused. I think 2024 will allow me to be better at this and honour my craft. My word for 2024 is Harmony.
My activities should align with my dreams. I wanted Traditional Ateliers to be a vehicle of collaboration and that is unfolding already. You will hear more about my work with artist Nelson Ferreira. We already know that until March the schedule is already full. Both Nelson and I have had the great honour of being invited by the University of Dhaka Fine Arts institute, Charukola to deliver the Bargue Drawing course (Nelson) and my Mughal miniature painting course. This will be a first in Bangladesh. I can't wait. I attach images of the miniatures I have worked on and I leave you with a video of the carpet drawing, with my sincerest wishes and love for your entry in 2024. Happy New Year from Traditional Ateliers.
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