Creation is Allah's Prerogative

Abstract

This project articulates my artmaking in relation to religion, culture, family, and identity. Primarily working in oil paint, I have combined the use of traditional African fabric to connect with my family lineage and ancestry while also investigating what artmaking looks like under the influences of Islam. The restriction of representing living beings under the Islamic faith has pushed me to create inventive modes of portraiture with the absence of the body and the face. Working from personal family photos sourced from my family photo album I am able to intimately capture the essence of my cultural traditions and religious influences. Through this project, I am investigating themes of religion, family, and culture while emphasizing the impacts it has had on the way I represent the subjects of my pieces.