Fragment No. 53

I received carpet fragment #53 from my good friend Margi Lake. We met in 2021 after I moved to Groningen for work. Our connection? Islamic geometry! Never being very good at drawing human figures, I was more drawn to abstract shapes and mostly to drawing and connecting lines using a ruler. During a visit in 2018 to the Museum für Islamische Kunst, I bought a watercolouring book filled with Islamic patterns and this is what started my Islamic geometry journey. After colouring a few pages of the watercolour book, I wanted to learn how to draw the patterns myself. Multiple resources could be found online such as beginner courses by Samira Mian. Her courses led me to 'Art of Islamic Pattern', a studio based in London founded by Adam Williamson and Richard Henry where they give all sorts of workshops (drawing patterns, marquetry, plaster carving, etc.) and together they also travel to many locations all across the world to teach about geometry. To go on one of their study trips became a dream of mine, but since at the time I was just a student finishing my Masters degree it felt like something I would never be able to do. But then something happened that none of us that lived through it will ever forget...the pandemic of 2020.

I lost my side job as a teacher because all schools closed down and got stuck at home with little to do. Since traveling was also suspended, Adam and Richard of Art of Islamic Pattern decided to teach online. All of a sudden, their classes that were normally given in places such as Morocco, Spain and Turkey were now available for everyone who wanted to join. I was one of them! Every week I was following multiple drawing classes and in between classes, I would make artworks of the patterns using watercolour and gouache. Soon enough, it was obvious that many of the same attendees would show up for all the classes and at some point the 'Women Who Art' group was founded. First it was a chat on Instagram but soon enough we moved to WhatsApp and hundreds of messages a day were exchanged about classes, patterns, paints, compasses and whatever anyone wanted to share.

During classes we would message each other about how it was going and we would stay online after classes to draw, paint and chat with each other. Over the years, true friendships formed and when the world slowly opened up again, the faces that were first restricted to their tiny Zoom boxes became real. Strangely, meeting in real life wasn't strange at all, it felt like we'd known each other for years. The patterns had already connected us, the rest fell naturally into place...

After multiple get togethers in different countries of various 'Women Who Art' members, 8 of us decided to organise an exhibition to showcase some of our art that we had been making since getting to know each other in 2020. 8 of us of various nationalities and heritages (Argentina, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, Pakistan, United Kingdom) who are all connected by geometry. We all brought multiple pieces, many of which based on patterns tought by Adam Williamson and Richard Henry, to be exhibited in the perfect location: the Art of Islamic Pattern studio in London. The exhibition was held over 3 days (11th-13th of July 2025) and in total we've had over 100 people visiting, including many 'Women Who Art' members. The piece that got the most attention on my side of the exhibition? Fragment #53!

Such a pleasure to be invited to participate in the project “CulturalxCollabs – Weaving The Future”, an initiative of the Museum for Islamic Art at the Pergamon Museum (Museum für Islamische Kunst) in Berlin. A month ago I received Carpet Fragment #53/100, and the story began to evolve..

Part I of my story is called ‘The Alchemy of Fire’ because it focusses on Negredo, the first stage in the alchemical process, in this case the blackening of the carpet by a fire bomb during WWII. From this blackened weave emerge the germs of light and renewal that transform into a rich tapestry of individual stories and images. Mine is a story that weaves together threads of history, heritage, culture, symbolism, geometric art and local design traditions. In alchemy, the dragon often appears as the Ouroboros, a serpent devouring its tail, symbolizing cycles of transformation, renewal, and the unity of opposites. The power of authentic art and craft practice is that it breathes new life into ancient traditions and connects individuals and their communities around the globe.

As a geometer-artist-poet with a passion for traditional compass and straightedge drawing and painting (in watercolour) of historical designs found in the Islamicate world, the design chosen for my artwork is a brickwork mosaic in the XIV-century Jameh Mosque of Varamin, some 1500 km north of the Caucusus.

With thanks to Aslam Qureshi for sharing his analysis of this pattern, here pictured (left) during renovations at the Jameh Mosque of Varamin, Iran.

Following their conversion to Islam, the Ilkhanids built numerous mosques and Sufi shrines in cities across Iran. After the death of the last Ilkhanid ruler of the united dynasty in 1335, the empire disintegrated, and a number of local dynasties came to power in Iraq and Iran which continued to emulate the style set by the Ilkhanid masters.

The reason I chose this pattern is because Varamin is famous for its distinct rugs, each piece being a unique blend of tradition and craftsmanship. First-hand accounts from local weavers suggest that the motifs are not merely decorative, but a form of storytelling. Each rug is a woven narrative, depicting tales of life, nature, and the deeply held beliefs of the weaver. The intricate designs and high-quality materials used in Varamin rugs are a testament to the region's rich heritage and the skill of its weavers.