"In Search of Hidden Meaning" gathers a group exhibition from local artists working with Islamic arts exploring our relationship and pathway toward God (Allah), and the meanings behind the month of Ramadan, fasting, Night of Destiny (Laylat al-Qadr), Eid Fitr, and. Many of the artworks include Islamic calligraphy. The calligraphy works highlight the power of the written word by inscribing it artistically with pens, ink, and other media. They emphasize a direct relationship between spirituality, art, and calligraphy.

This exhibition supports underrepresented Muslim artists and calligraphers and provides them with a platform to express their creative work. It helps the Muslim community to connect with their faith from different perspectives. It also offers an opportunity for the general public to see the beauties of Islamic art and explore Ramadan's message in various forms of art.

The curator of this exhibition has selected ten local artists out of 25 submissions based on these criteria:

Passing the eligibility criteria of the exhibition
Reflecting the theme of the exhibition
Being aligned with ICCNC's mission, vision, Art & Culture Policy, and reflect Islamic values
Artistically and professionally executed and engaging for the greater community

List of Artists

List of Selected Artists

Ayesha Samdani, Azeem Khaliq, Manli Salimah Chao, Nabeela Sajjad, Rabea Chaudhry, Saïd Nuseibeh, Salma Arastu, Sehar Shahzad, Sophia Sattar, and Yasmin Khafagy. The selected artists will receive $200 honorarium from ICCNC.

The exhibition also includes artworks from guest artists whose works are included in the curator's Calligraphies in Conversation collection to show the depth, beauty, and diversity of Islamic calligraphy.

List of Guest Artists

Abdolreza H. Garakani, Arash Shirinbab, Bahareh Bayat, Gori Yusuf Husen, Gulnaz Ismagilova, Hamidreza Safizadeh, Mahmoud Gamal, Mohammad Reza Dehshiri, and Mohammed A. Akram.

Artwork Sales

Artworks of the selected artists are available for sale and will support artists sustain during the pandemic time. ICCNC only retains 10% of sales to offset administration expenses. To purchase an artwork, please contact the artists directly via their website included in the artwork description. Artists are responsible for the packaging, shipment, and insurance of their artwork to the buyers. If you could not locate an artist's contact info, please email us at info@iccnc.org, and we will connect you to them.

Selected Artists’ Art Work

Ayesha Samdani

https://ayeshasamdani.com

Ayesha Samdani was born and raised in Pakistan. She immigrated to the United States after completing her MA degree in Fine Arts. She also earned MFA in abstract painting from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Currently, she is living and painting as a full-time artist in Fremont. She is represented by John Natsoulas Gallery in Davis, California. She has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including the Islamic Art Exhibit at the Sun Gallery in Hayward and Triton Museum in San Jose.

The Sustainer and The Living One, 30" x 30", Acrylic on Canvas, $1,100

God is self-sustainer

The Knower and Hearer, 30" x 30", Oil on Canvas, $1,100

God is the hearer and knower of all. These are two of the 99 names of Allah in Quran.

Gratitude, 24" X 24", Acrylic on Canvas, $775

All praises are for God

Glory To God, 30" x 30", Oil on Canvas, $1,100

Glory and praise to God for His creation

2. Azeem Khaliq

Azeem’s favorite painting tool is painting knife and she loves working with oil paint. She also works with Acrylic Ink on canvas making beautiful abstract impressions of flowers and landscapes. She is inspired by the bright colors of nature surrounding her as well as her deep faith in the Divine. She has developed her own unique style of writing Arabic Calligraphy which is inspired by the traditional styles. Her use of beautiful colors and unique style make it one of a kind artwork. She has participated in numerous art exhibits in and around the Bay Area, California.

Bismillah, 30" x 40", Acrylic on Canvas, $600

In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

God is Great, 36" x 36", Acrylic on Canvas, $600 God is Greater than any entity or being

God is Greater than any entity or being

3. Manli Salimah Chao

www.manliart.com

Manli Salimah Chao is a contemporary abstract painter. She studied at the Fine Art Department of Queens College, New York Studio School, and in 2001 received her MFA from Academy of Art University. Manli’s paintings have been widely featured at numerous exhibits in the USA, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, and the United Arab Emirates. Most recently, her works were displayed at U.S Embassy in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Art Beijing, and Stanford Art Spaces

Ephemeral Reflection, 48" x 48", Acrylic on Canvas, $5,500

My painting is a reflection of an overwhelming experience, which refers back to college time. As an amateur climber, I struggled to reach the highest mountain, Mt. Yu, in Taiwan. At night, incredibly, the crystalline stars were so clear and so close that I could almost catch them. At that still moment, all the mundane affairs of life were left far behind. All I felt was sereneness and everlasting. Nature and humans are in unison.

Kaleidoscope of Heaven, 45" x 45", Acrylic on Canvas, $4,200

Celestial Reflection, 40" x 40", Acrylic on Canvas, Not for Sale

4. Nabeela Sajjad

https://nabeelasajjad.wordpress.com/

Nabeela Sajjad has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pakistan. Although never been instructed in the fine arts, she designed and developed her own painting style of the traditional Arabic Calligraphy. She has been painting since 2006 and has exhibited in Islamic Centers, Synagogues, Libraries, and Museums in California, USA. Nabeela is the founder of Islamic Art Exhibit, a non-profit organization (2009). She has been exhibiting artwork by local Muslim Artists in various Bay Area venues to promote understanding of Islamic Art to the greater American audience. www.islamicartexhibit.com

The word "Allah" in Maghribi Style Calligraphy, 30" x 40", Acrylic on Canvas, Not for Sale

The Maghribi style of Arabic Calligraphy was developed in West Africa in the sixth century. Maghribi script is influenced by Kufic letters, and is traditionally written with a pointed tip , producing a line of even thickness. It was used to write Arabic manuscripts and literature.

"Mohammad" in Maghribi Style Calligraphy, 30" x 40", Acrylic on Canvas, Not for Sale

Love and Mercy, 24'' x 36", Acrylic on Canvas, Not for Sale

Quran - The Romans (30:21) “And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.”

Increase Me in Knowledge, 24" x 30", Acrylic paints on canvas, Not for Sale

Quran - Taha (20:114)

So high [above all] is Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth. And, [O Muhammad], do not hasten with [recitation of] the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, "My Lord, increase me in knowledge."

5. Rabea Chaudhry

www.RabeaChaudhry.com

An aspiring artist and author and mother to three, I have been painting for close to two decades now. Through my art I seek to celebrate the beauty of the Oneness of God, the Mercy of his Beloved Messenger, and the magic that is possible when we surrender our own egos to the interest of the collective well-being. Each piece is also a stamp in time for me, reminding me of the internal struggles and triumphs that I experienced while producing each piece.

North Star, 30" x 48", Not for Sale

"Muhammad". This piece explores the inner struggle for guidance while acknowledging that one's moral compass is enough to guide one's self.

Surrender, 38" x 48", Not for Sale

I painted this piece during a time of significant emotional pain. This piece serves as a reminder to myself, and hopefully others, that if we surrender and trust in the plan of God, great beauty can be found even amidst great hardship.

Jugni, 38" x 48", Not for Sale

The majestic beauty of Zion National Park inspired this piece. It seeks to portray and celebrate the possibilities that present themselves when we recognize our oneness with nature and the Creator.

6. Saïd Nuseibeh

www.studiosaid.com plus www.umayyad.net

Saïd Nuseibeh is an architectural photographer who, in 1996, published The Dome of the Rock with Rizzoli. He attended BirZeit U. in Palestine and graduated from Reed College in Portland, Oregon with a BA in English Literature. Awarded a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship and then a Fulbright Senior Scholar grant, Saïd concentrates on early Islamic art and architecture, his patrimony. Invoking relics of chronologically distant but enduring high culture, Saïd creates socially and politically engaged art, sensuously re-energizing peaceful and imaginative engagements with Arab and Islamic cultures.

Mosaic Sophits of West Riwaq, 4” x 5”, Pigment Inkjet, $175

View looking up at remnants of surviving Umayyad mosaics in the 8th-century Masjid Ummawi, Damascus. Three soffits of the courtyard’s two-tiered West Riwaq illuminate how the mosque courtyard once possessed mosaic garments on all sides of the architectural elements. The designs feature acanthus, wreaths, flower-buds, fruit, fluted vessels and caeliculi. To the rear are the uppermost decorative bands of the famous “Barada Mosaic”. The gold glass mosaic tesserae were formed with gold foil, giving the designs brilliance, opulence, and endurance.

Spiraling Rinceau Climbing a Soffit, 4” x 5”, Pigment Inkjet, $175

Decorative panel of acanthus rinceau spiraling up the sophit of an arch in the lower arcade of the North Riwaq, or arcade, in the peristyle courtyard of the Masjid Ummawi, Damascus. Dating originally to the 8th-century CE, the mosque was sponsored by the Umayyad Caliph Walid bin Abdal-Malik. In the foreground hangs a brass light fixture, made to simulate an old hanging oil lamp.

Spandrel-With-Architectural-Motifs, 4” x 5”, Pigment Inkjet, $175

Nighttime view of a mosaic spandrel from within the West Riwaq of the courtyard, Masjid Ummawi, Damascus. These mosaics feature this mosque’s doubly eccentric decorative program of both naturalistic flora and architectural representation. The exquisitely rendered, perspective-sensitive and shaded domed towers, hypaethral and hypostyle temples, semi-domed apse or iwan suggest many diverse, but especially Hellenistic influences. Note the white nacre hanging pearls or eggs in the doorways, windows, and peaks of the gable.

Pier Atop Spandrel with Courtyard Beyond, Nightime, 4” x 5”, Pigment Inkjet, $175

Nightime view above scaffolding from behind the West Riwaq of the courtyard of the Masjid Ummawi, Damascus. These remnants of original 8th-century Umayyad mosaics are heavily soiled, damaged and repaired, yet still feature sumptuously detailed Classical (meaning Greco-Roman or Hellenistic) decorative motifs of spiraling rinceax and vessels from which the foliage springs. Unusual details include the crimson-red tipping on some acanthus leaves and many species of fruit and flower on the same plant. Note also the almost architectural fluting of the central cauliculus in the lower spandrel.

7. Salma Arastu

www.salmaarastu.com

As a woman, Muslim, artist, and mother, I work to create harmony by expressing the universality of humanity through paintings, sculpture, and calligraphy. Inspired by the imagery, sculpture, and writings of my Indian heritage and Islamic spirituality, I use my artistic voice to break down the barriers that divide in order to foster peace and understanding. My works are greatly influenced by my studies and experiences in different cultures around the world. Arabic Calligraphy, miniatures, and the folk art of Islam and the Hindu tradition continue to influence my work today.

Allahu, 40" X 40", Acrylics on Canvas, $3,500

In my new series of paintings in Arabic Calligraphy, I am repeating my prayer, my call to my creator. As I go on repeating (Sufis call it Zikr) my voice breaks down but still feeble voice echoes all around and becomes a pattern to reach far beyond and may touch another soul. This painting echoing with the sound of Hu as Sufi chanting. In the center large free strokes of Allahu suggest the cry of the worshiper while soft rhythmic sound of Hu is being repeated in the heart constantly.

Anta Rabbi, 40" x 40", Acrylics on Canvas, $3,500

In my new series of paintings in Arabic Calligraphy, I am repeating my prayer, my call to my creator. As I go on repeating (Sufis call it Zikr) my voice breaks down but still feeble voice echoes all around and becomes a pattern to reach far beyond and may touch another soul. This painting has Anta Rabbi ( You are my Lord) repeated several times. In the center large free strokes of Anta Rabbi suggest the cry of the worshiper while soft rhythmic sound of Anta Rabbi is being repeated in the heart constantly.

My Lord is with me, guiding me, 30” x 40", Acrylics on Canvas, $3,200

In my new series of paintings in Arabic Calligraphy, I am repeating my prayer, my call to my creator. As I go on repeating (Sufis call it Zikr) my voice breaks down but still feeble voice echoes all around and becomes a pattern to reach far beyond and may touch another soul. The meaning of the verse is My Lord is with me, guiding me. Word Rabbi is repeated several times. Subdued tones suggest state of meditation while chanting.

My Prayer, 20” x 16", Acrylics on Board, $750

I pray in the morning for guidance to do what He wants me to do, I pray at night to thank for blessings numerous; Prayer is my strength, Prayer is my joy, prayer is my constant connection with my Creator and His creation.

8. Sehar Shahzad

www.seharshahzad.com

Sehar Shahzad was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, and is now living in San Francisco since 2017. She has been an artist since childhood, but it was ten years ago that she first tried traditional Arabic calligraphy. Over the years, she has had the opportunity to work on several small and large scale projects across North America. Currently, she is dedicating her time solely to study under her master, Khalid Casado, in the hope of earning her ijazah (certification) and excelling in her writing and living up to the time-honored tradition of Arabic calligraphy.

The Calligrapher's Invocation, 10" x 14", Ink on Handmade Treated Paper, Not for Sale

As the calligrapher becomes immersed in practice, slowly the page fills up, and every space is nourished with black ink in a delicate dance of intertwined strokes. Like all karalamas, this too has something to tell you: “Rabbi yassir, wa la tu’assir, rabbi tammim bil khair: My Lord, make it easy for me and make it not difficult; my Lord, make it end with goodness.” Through practice, not only are the strokes embedded into the calligrapher’s mind, but the invocation also penetrates their heart, reminding them that intentions are essential and that without the aid of God, nothing is possible.

9. Sophia Sattar

https://www.paintandpicnic.com/paintings.html

Sophia was born in Karachi Pakistan. She completed her masters from AAU, San Francisco. She has been published in American Art collectors Magazine. Her work is a bridge between East and West, with emphasis on Arabic calligraphy.

The Crescent Moon, 70” x 60”, Oil on Canvas, Not For Sale

Depicting the Crescent moon, a symbol of Islamic tradition.

The Last Trumpet, 60” x 60”, Oil on Canvas, Not For Sale

According to Muslim tradition, the last trumpet will be blown on the Day of Judgment.

The Creator, 5” x7”, Ink on Paper, $150

Allah is the creator and every creature has His essence in it.

10. Yasmin Khafagy

YasminkhafagyGallery@facebook.com

I come from Egypt and my first language is Arabic. The oriental style and rich culture from my country have shaped my personality as an artist. Though trained as an Interior designer, I started painting after arriving in the United States. Initially, I started abstract works but soon I turned towards my rich heritage of Arabic Calligraphy and created abstract paintings informed by calligraphy.

Al-Afuw, 24”x24”, Mixed Media , $1,000

Al-'Afuw is one of the Names of Allah. It means The Pardoner, The Most Forgiving, The Effacing, The Eliminator of Sins. It is part of the 99 Names of God. This special unique name is one of the most important in Ramadan and has all miracles related to it, Muslims use it to ask for forgiveness and seeking the blessing of Laylat el Qadr.

Hwa Allah, 24” x 24”, Mixed Media, $1,200

In Islam, God (Allah) is the absolute one, the all-powerful and all-knowing ruler of the universe, and the creator of everything in existence. He is One and according to the Quran, "No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision And Allah is the source of all giving and blessing forgiving in the month of Ramadan we always seek protection and anything through that Name ALLAH.

Endless blessing, 24” x 24”, Mixed Media, $1,500

This artwork is a mirror effect to my design of the Word Allah, Allah’s blessing r endless especially in Lylatul Qadr this night the blessed nightingale Ramadan it is mentioned in the Quran that it’s better than 1000 nights, I tried to show the endless blessings through the mosaics or pixels in my art and the dark color is to reflect the night and the word Allah is all light and crystal clear.

“F_-ni qareeb”, 30” x 40”, Mixed Media, $1,200

F-ini Qareeb is a part of a verse in al Quran surah al Baqarah 186 (in English translation sahih international)

(2:186) And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me â€“ indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided. I chose this verse as a part of the hidden treasures of praying and knowing GOD and how tender this Ayah is describing that Allah is so close.

Guest Artists’ Art Work

Abdolreza Hosseini Garakani

Abdolreza Hosseini Garakani is the master calligrapher in different styles of Islamic calligraphy including Nastaliqu, Thuluth, and Naskh for the past 20 years at the Iranian Calligraphists Association, teaching hundreds of students each year in different levels. He is awarded the first place in several national and international calligraphy competitions including IRSICA in Turkey. He is in the list of 100 top honored Calligraphy Masters in Iran.

Allah: Name of God, 15” x 15”, Ink on Cardboard hand-decorated with Islamic illumination (Tazheeb)

Arash Shirinbab

Arash Shirinbab has managed to be a successful blend of an award-winning artist and Arabic-Persian calligrapher as well as curator and designer for over a dozen years. He has participated in over 70 exhibitions (over 10 solos) nationally and internationally in the U.S., Spain, Poland, Canada, Russia, France, Italy, Japan, Thailand, India, and Iran.

Remember Me, 8.5” x 11”, Ink on Paper with Hand-silkscreen Printed Illumination, $250

From Quran: “Remember me and I will remember you” scribed in old Kufic style with personal modifications.

Bahareh Bayat

Bahareh Bayat is an Iranian calligrapher with over 10 years of experience. She is a member of the Association of Iranian Calligraphers and is a calligraphy instructor and graphics teacher in two Iranian schools. She has participated in several group exhibitions including the Saghi exhibition in Tehran.

Sun (verse of Persian poem), 19.5” x 27.5”, Calligraphy Ink on Hand-Illuminated Paper, Not for Sale

Gori Yusuf Husen

Yusuf Husen Gori was born in Upleta (Gujarat) in 1963. A self-taught, self-disciplined, and self-dependent practitioner of traditional art. All of his works are focused on traditional works of 300 to 800 years old made in the old style with materials such as paper, leather, and cloth used in that period. Mr. Gori also works with miniature and oil painting on canvas and has participated in major world exhibitions held in countries like UK, Germany, France, South Africa, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Iran, and Kuwait.

Surah Al Kausar from Quran, 22” x 22”, Original Cotton Paper, Hams Paper, Black Ink, and Herbal Color, Not for Sale

Translation: In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful. We have given you plenty. So pray to your Lord and sacrifice. Surely, it is thy enemy who is without issue.

Gulnaz Ismagilova

Was born in Aznakaevo, Republic of Tatarstan (Russia). She graduated from music school. Plays the piano, guitar. In 2009 she won a gold medal at the International Turkish Olympiad (Turkey). She is learning calligraphy from the world-famous calligrapher, Honored Artist of Russian Federation Vladimir Popov. She is also learning traditional calligraphy and tezhip art there in Turkey.

In a short time took part in a lot of regional, republic, and international exhibitions (Kazan, Moscow, Minsk, Vitebsk, Gomel, İvye...).

Allah, 20” x 20”, Ink and traditional color on Tezhib paper, Not for Sale

Hamidreza Safizadeh

I always loved Persian poetry and Islamic calligraphy, and my passion for creating authentic artworks motivated me to practice and create calligraphic artworks for more than 25 years. I had the opportunity of practicing with some great calligraphy masters including Kashi Poor, Foradi, and Jamaladin Moadeb. I have the Master (Momtaz) certificate on Nastaliq and Shekaste Nastaliq calligraphy from the National Institute of Iranian Calligraphers. I conducted one solo calligraphy exhibition in Iran and have participated in over ten group exhibits in the United States.

Quran: Al-Fatihah, 17" x 20", Shekast Nastaliq style of calligraphy with Islamic illuminations (Tazheeb) by Zahra Rezaee, Not for Sale

Mahmoud Gamal

Mahmoud Gamal has a Diploma in Arabic Calligraphy and Islamic decoration. He is teaching Arabic calligraphy in Egypt and has participated in International and local Arabic Calligraphy exhibitions.

Untitled, 11.5” x 11.5”, Ink on Paper, Not for Sale

“And the leg is wound about the leg”. An attempt to show the meaning through configuration, the word warp in the form of a calligraphic dot contained in the letter wow in Arabic.

Mohammad Reza Dehshiri

Mohammad Reza Dehshiri was born in June 1989 in Yazd, Iran. He has been doing calligraphy and Calligram (Calligraphy-Painting) since 2006. Encouragements from an art teacher was a turning point in his interest in calligraphy. He continued to self-study calligraphy books and was fascinated by Mu'alla Persian calligraphy style. He learned professional Mu'alla calligraphy from one of the best calligraphy and calligraphy-Painting master in Iran, Hamid Ajami. He has participated in many group calligram exhibitions, has hold solo exhibitions, and has won several national awards. www.artist.biafarin.com/mohammadreza-dehshiri

Untitled, 20” x 40”, Acrylics and Ink on Canvas, Not for Sale

Mohammed Aiyyoob Akram

Mohammed Aiyyoob Akram: As a professional calligraphist, I have been working as an Instructor of Islamic Calligraphy for the past six years. The calligraphy is the passion of my life. The Centre for Quranic Studies in India has offered a part-time certificate course of Islamic Calligraphy to the benefit of the students and employees of the university.

Arabic Quran, 38” x 27”, Acrylics on Paper, Not for Sale

This Arabic Quran is free from any defect. Let them fear (evil).

"In Search of Hidden Meaning" - Virtual Islamic Art Exhibit