Bathing in divine light (2023) Prayer in Islam is practiced through ritual movement and recitation. I am inspired by ancient Muslim artists, who in addition to their daily prayers created artwork as an act of worship, such as poetry that declares faith or mosques that create space for community prayer. In Bathing in light I create my own space for prayer: a site-specific installation that incorporates projection of digitally-manipulated paper collages that move like water onto mirror tile tapestries. Behind them, my father’s threadbare prayer rug filters sunlight to illuminate the room.

I was inspired by mirror mosaics that adorn the Shah-e-Cheragh mosque, Sufi poetry that blends divine and romantic love, and Persian carpets that are adorned with the creatures and flowers of the garden of paradise in the afterlife. When I experience this work, I feel yearning for God. I translated that yearning into my creative process which itself is an act of devotion. The projection in my piece is made from images of Persian carpets, old family photos, and pictures of galaxies that move in wave-like motions. The Persian carpets are portals to think about the past through the histories of craftsmanship and labor they hold and the many prayers that have been whispered into their threads during prostration. I chose to include my father’s prayer rug in this piece, which has been used so much that the five points of contact of my father’s body with the rug are threadbare — an imprint of his devotion. 

While standing in the piece, the repetitive movements and reflection of light feels like being immersed in water. As people fill the space, the hanging mirror tapestries sway, sending ripples of projected light in different directions. After exhibiting the piece, I photographed myself in the space with the projections on my body. Through these vulnerable photographs, the piece evolves to show that I am not yet done with my revelations and am left with many questions. My art practice is a search for answers and Bathing in divine light is a portal for that search.