Light Upon Light

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.
The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp,
The lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star,
Lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree,
Neither of the east nor of the west,
Whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire.
Light upon light.

Quran 24:36

This short passage from the Quran is a favorite for mystics of Islam, the Sufis. Following the idea that the source of all being is actually His Divine Light, the traditional Islamic arts try to capture reflections of this Light by use of proportion, harmony and balance. Our artwork offers glimpses of written wisdom rendered in proportional lettering or calligraphy, geometric harmony in the art of illumination and paper cutting, balance in the expansive art of marbling and scenes which are neither of earth nor of the heavens in the art of miniatures.

Artists included in the exhibition are:

Mujgan Baskoylu, Elinor Aishah Holland, Zinnur Doganata, Rabia Karakoyun Gundogdu, Behnaz Karjoo, and Nurdan Yeneroglu

This exhibit will be on display from October 1 through November 11.