Ramadan Mubarak! : in 5 Languages

RAMADAN MUBARAK- May your lives be filled with peace, joy, health, happiness!  

We must stay apart to fight Corona virus, IA it'll end soon, we shall be back together! 

My Ramadan Art/Design : in 5 Different languages - Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit (my faith Hinduism), Tamil (my South Indian heritage) & Tamazight (language of the Amazigh people of North Africa) 

CONCEPT :

WE as a World are ONE - planet Earth behind a Mosque. More connected than ever before via FaceTime, Zoom, VideoChat etc. 

My little brothers in Morocco and Iran, my parents and ustadh (teacher) in California all helped with translations, while I’m based in NYC! 

ARCHITECTURE: 

PYRAMID/ SQUARE light blue-inspired by Southern Desert Mosques of Morocco,  are native to Amazigh design NOT Arab design.  Interesting story, since all houses of worship are closed due to Corvid, Flushing Ganesha Hindu Temple has been live streaming all their pujas (prayer services)

Orthodox Hindu temples DO NOT allow filming/photography of the  shrines (considered sacred, one has to be physically present to view/feel divine energy) BUT due to Corvid they have no choice! I WAS SURPRISED/SHOCKED to see that the same designs are at the base of the Ganesha (main deity) statue-
I have never EVER seen this statue in detail (thanks to live streaming I could)!

NO wonder I was so drawn to the mosques I saw in Southern Morocco!!

GOLD TOPS - Inspired by Arab Design + Orthodox South Indian Hindu Temples which have gold vessels (called kalasams on top containing water from 7 holy rivers). Islamic moon and star on top. 

WINDOWS - Middle is “Mughal” Right/Left Amazigh 

MINARET- An excerpt from a sophisticated poem by Indian Poet Bedel in Persian

COLOR PALETTE:

Bright colors to celebrate the joy/happiness/gratitude/love Ramadan brings. Inspired by South Indian Hindu Temples & Mosques which are very brightly painted! 

LANGUAGES:

Sanskrit- Ramadan Mubarak first window

Tamil - Inniya Ramalan (no “dha” in Tamil) Vartaikal ( Sweet Ramadan Greetings) first window 

Arabic - Ramadan Mubarak stylized script written in middle window

Tamazight - Ramadan / Ifoulki / Ramadan Ambarki Ighudan  - (Wish you a Happy/Beautiful Ramadan) 

Persian - “Take on the characteristics of the Angels during the month of Ramadan” written in minaret (tower) 

My artwork is a cross cultural mix of Islam, Hinduism, Morocco, India, Arab, Persian, Tamil, Tamazight… lots going on, but diversity is what makes the world beautiful! Everything has a deep meaning/interconnectedness behind it.