About AL HAMRA’s artworks

For modern historians of art, an artistic work is only 'art' insofar as it bears the stamp of an individual personality, while for the traditional spirit of Islam beauty is essentially the expression of a universal truth.

Islamic art can be defined as being an art with no geographical boundaries. It is, however, considered to be a theological art craft. The art style is commonly referred to as Islamic and it has been produced in many different geographical regions with diverse cultures, unified through the religion of Islam.

In the book ‘Art of Islam: Language and Meaning’, the Swiss philosopher and connoisseur of Islamic art and culture, Titus Burckhardt or Sidi Ibrahim  after his Islamic name (1908-1984) states that the three components of Arabic architecture are: geometry (the balanced distribution of shapes, orderly and at times implausible spaces), rhythm (progression of those same shapes along certain lines of perspective, moving through space) and light (which makes the shapes and the changing perspectives visible).

These are the three components which, ‘AL HAMRA contemporary art projects’ has be used to build up its huge and excellent body of work (geometry, rhythm and light - or colour). A work which follows the two patterns of art found in the al-Andalus palaces of Alhambra: It is aniconic (it contains no figurative representation) and it is, in Islamic terms, al-tawhid (it presents unity in multiplicity).

In other words, the artworks of ‘AL HAMRA contemporary art projects’ could be described as modern geometric abstraction, but it’s more than that, the large-scale artworks are at once simple and complex, primitive and modern and presents the rich creativity of Islamic Arts, specially thanks to a careful study of Islamic al-Andalus and al-Maghrib heritage culture, and the recognition to its art language as the road between the material world (pictoric) and the spiritual worlds (his visual thought), beyond abstract expressionism and minimalist art.

The culture’s ornate carvings, tile patterns and meaningful colours were an important part of AL HAMRA’s painting creative process and as a result of the intricate beauties that make up the aesthetics of Islamic motifs. And in turn, developing a deep respect for the principles of these traditional arts.

‘AL HAMRA contemporary art projects’ focuses predominantly on depicting the hidden meanings in Islamic art through the use of symbolism in patterns and colours and combines traditional techniques and concepts to create artworks with a slight modern feel to them.

The countries where masterpieces of Islamic art and architecture are present are usually the most inspirational times for ‘AL HAMRA contemporary art projects’, specially the empires of the past in southern Spain and Northern Africa, from Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba to Nasrid Emirate of Granada or also Marinid Sultanate of Maghreb, which have very inspiring heritage sites for an artistic new creation.

From the Western point of view, the criterion of an artistic culture lies in its capacity to represent nature and even more in its capacity to portray man. From the Islamic point of view, on the contrary, the main scope of art is not the imitation or description of nature.

Islamic art is predominately made up of patterns due to the absence of figurative images and icons to prevent the art being a form of worship. This has given birth to a very rich and diverse array of patterns that range from floral motifs to more structured geometric compositions. The main thing about them is, even though they are all so diverse, they still share a common law. The idea of symmetry, harmony and structure is always at its core. No pattern is ever composed without obeying the laws of harmony. This is one of the main principles of Islamic art as a whole. The reason for this is the philosophy of trying to embody and convey the harmony and structure of everything on this earth through pattern.

Geometry plays a crucial role in Islamic art; it can be seen as the foundation or guideline. Every element of Islamic art is entwined with geometric proportions, and is used to tell a story.

Geometry can be used as a very sophisticated and elegant visual language for those who understand it.

The visual language of Islamic design employs a variety of intricate geometric patterns, floral elements and ornate calligraphy, all of which are used to decorate manuscripts, textiles, furniture, buildings, etc. Looking at calligraphy, each letter is composed using very strict geometric measurements that must be followed. In miniature painting and manuscript illumination, the layout of the page is generally composed using geometric principles.

In the Alhambra, geometric pattern is perfectly integrated with biomorphic design (arabesque) and calligraphy.  These are the three distinct, but complementary, disciplines that comprise Islamic art. They form a three-fold hierarchy in which geometry is seen as foundational. This is often signified by its use on the floors, ceilings or lower parts of walls, as you can see in Alhambra’s Nasrid decorations.

The ornamental characteristic of these wall decorations are based mainly in a tile patterns created by a craft technique knew well as ‘zillij’ or ‘azzulech’ tessellations (according to Moroccan or Andalusian cultural influence respectively) and developed by the Muslim artisans.

In this sense, the colourist painting of AL HAMRA combines modern geometric abstraction with the tradition of Islamic art, transferring to canvas these tile-pattern motifs using mainly the true concepts of ‘hard-edge’ legacy art style.

At the same time, the visually compelling quality of hard-edge painting reflects its relationship to architecture, and for this reason in ‘AL HAMRA contemporary art projects’ we are architects and painters!

“… mosaics with their fragmented iridiscent surfaces, which are partly transparent, bestow something incorporeal and uncertain on the walls they cover; ceramic tiles on the other hand, so typical of Islamic art during the following centuries, define the surfaces at the same time as making them luminous.”

Titus Burckhardt / the Birth of Islamic Art

(To see more about AL HAMRA’s artworks, click on the series catalogue links)