The culture of the Muslim world has developed a very specific type of ornamental design, which is grounded in the religious demands of Islam. 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. AL HAMRA contemporary art projects presents a diverse collection of abstract paintings, ranging from simple and elegant elements to complex and highly ornate interlocking patterns, based mainly on Islamic artworks from the palaces and fortress of Alhambra, built in the Middle Ages for emirs of the Nasrid Emirate or Kingdom of Granada, to the traditional tile ornamentations in Moroccan old cities:
Arrayanes shadows and reflections, is a painting series based on the ceramic baseboard
walls of the Patio de los
Arrayanes (the Myrtles Court)
pavilions in the Alhambra of Granada, which combines on canvas: colour,
abstraction and geometry.
Examples of this series catalogue:
(Oil on canvas: Measurements
195.00 cm wide x 114.00 cm height)
Zillij art collection, is a tribute or homage to the modernity of a
craft tradition by centuries, developed by the Muslim art in al-Andalus and
al-Maghrib territories in the times of the cultural influence of Andalusian
Nasrid Emirate from Granada.
Examples of this
series catalogue:
(Oil on square canvas:
Measurements 120.00 cm wide x 120.00 cm height)
Qatib art collection, is a
painting series on monochrome background, based from the ceramic pieces of
straight lines (Arabic Qatib) or broken lines (Qatib 'uy) used by
Muslim craftsmen who created the most famous tiled traceries and lattices for
covering floors, ceilings and baseboard
walls of the Alhambra’s palaces in Granada and another heritage sites.
Examples of this series catalogue:
(Oil on square canvas:
Measurements 80.00 cm wide x 80.00 cm height)
Furmah art
collection, is a painting
series based on the elementary
polygonal pieces (squares, stars, rhombuses, …) which composed the geometric
design of zellige tile patterns in the Andalusian or Moroccan Muslim
ceramic decorations. These small pieces, called ‘furmah‘, are
manufactured, still today, by specialist artisans in a complex crafted process
with origins in the ancient Mediterranean and Middle East interlocking sheets
tiles knowledge.
Examples of this series catalogue:
(Oil on canvas: Measurements
162.00 cm wide x 130.00 cm height)
Jatm art collection, is a
painting series based on a singular
piece around which seems to revolve geometric composition of ceramic tiles that
we can found in the main Spanish-Muslim ornamentation of the Alhambra in
Granada or also in the North African Maghreb colourful zelliges, called the "ring" or Jatm, a star of eight points formed by the intersection of two
squares, which usually combines with equal arm crosses finished with pointed
ends, known as Daqmar sûm
(moonlight).
Examples of this series catalogue:
(Oil on canvas: Measurements
130.00 cm wide x 97.00 cm height)
And monochromatic series with variations in grey, yellow, red, green and blue:
Click on images to enlarge.
For more information about each series, look for the catalogue links in the right column.
For more information about each series, look for the catalogue links in the right column.
