“Creating inspiration, community and cultural understanding through Islamic art. I make marquetry pieces and watercolour paintings using Islamic geometric patterns. I also have colouring and folding sheets, mosaic kits, greeting cards and prints.”

My story

I was introduced to Islam in my teens and felt a strong connection to its teachings, culture, and arts. In that same period of my life, as a graffiti artist, I enjoyed working with many colours on large surfaces. In 1995, I created a non-profit with the purpose of countering racism through arts and culture. We organised many art and food events until I moved out of France in 1998. I started playing with a compass and drawing mandalas in 2007. I began to paint and study Islamic geometry in 2015 and it quickly became a passion. Today, my work with Islamic geometry in rural Eastern Ontario brings me back to my earlier intentions to create inspiration, community and cultural understanding.

The tradition of Islamic geometry is hundreds of years old. I appreciate that the patterns can be rendered in an infinite number of ways with many different media – such as mosaic tiles, wood, plaster and stone carving, gold leaf illumination, and paintings – with applications in architecture, furniture, home décor, and more. I have been learning traditional ways of constructing and applying Islamic geometry. It is my intention to continue using traditional techniques while bringing my own interpretation. I enjoy working with marquetry, watercolour, and I continue to experiment with new media.