Reading the above topic, one would think…with all the negative stigma attached to the Islamic image ,and the fact that Islamic art is used mainly for things accociated with religion can Islamic art be accepted into modern design? I believe it may be so!
It seems that people are starting to see beyond the Islamophobia hype that the ‘media’ keeps lumbering its consumers and start to see the beautiful, poetic side of Islam, which is really, already fundamental in Islamic teachings. People began to see, if not the spiritual side, the aesthetic, physical beauty of Islam, in the form of art and architecture.
Islamic art and motifs began seeping into modern designs very recently. The images of geometric patterns usually found within Islamic context are appearing as wallpaper designs or rugs. Modern takes on Masyrabia appearing as grills and window decoration are getting the attention it deserved.
An interesting take on the traditional Islamic geometric pattern as a sliding masyrabia door
The art of calligraphy is also getting a modern makeover these past few years. While traditional forms and styles such as the Nasakh and Thuluth scripts are still preferred mostly in religious context such as the writing of the Al Quran manuscripts and decorations, Arabic scripts are being re-imagined with modern twists. For example, the Kufic script, which already exists over a millennium ago, getting a modern makeover, and used as decorative elements and also as logos.
Recently, i was invited to a group call Friends of Kufi Square on Facebook. They specialize in teaching and discussing about square Kufi scripts, which, according to samples being displayed on the page, were used as logos from restaurants to associations and companies.
A Kufi logo, for a company made by coroflot.com
The trend has been going for quite some time now and it did not show the signs of slowing down. I am myself thinking of decorating my own bedroom with geometric pattern but that is for another post, another time….
Stars in Symmetry 