Majma-Ul-Bahrain, The Mingling of the (Two) Oceans
Exploring sacred geometries.
Sep 29, 2018 - Oct 31, 2018
Aga Khan Park
Don’t miss this free, outdoor art installation in the Aga Khan Park Reflecting Pools. Artist Javid a.k.a JAH explores sacred Vedic and Islamic geometries through his paintings on corrugated steel. The metal comes from the scrap left behind in the process of cutting out the doors and windows of re-purposed shipping containers.
MESSAGE FROM THE ARTIST
The title of this exhibition — Majma-ul-Bahrain, The Mingling of the (two) Oceans — is taken from a 17th-century book examining the pluralistic and mystical correspondences between Vedism and Sufi Islam. Written by Dara Shukoh (eldest son of Shah Jahan), some of the key concepts discussed in this book coincide with the research manifest in this body of work — explorations of sacred geometry that have symbolic roots in multiple religious and spiritual traditions.
Studying the roots of geometric representation from Vedic origins, such as the chakras, and overlaying cosmological principles that form the basis for Islamic pattern, in particular, the formation of muqarnas, the paintings in this exhibit reflect on this ancient conversation on the intrinsic, transcendent unity within diverse global spiritual practices.
— Javid a.k.a. JAH
BIOGRAPHY
Javid a.k.a. JAH is a street artist and designer based in Toronto, Canada. Developing a studio with projects migrating between public art murals and industrial design, JAH is focused on how graffiti pushes the limits of space making.
His painting is influenced by three-dimensional representation, experimenting with the anamorphic in letter and figure.
Inspired by Sufism, JAH has been developing a practice that addresses issues facing secularized Muslim communities through the lens of esoteric Islamic art and design.
