Shafaqna English– The Astrolabe: A CIS Student Research Journal has published the paper “Islamic Values in Islamic Art” written by Aamna Azad in 2020.
According to Shafaqna, this paper explores the modifications that occurred in the design field of art that find their basis in the theology of Islam. Islamic art and architecture have a rich history in all the lands that have hosted the religion.
Recently, the contemporary aesthetic has found its way into the art and architecture of Muslim societies. There have been attempts to modernize the Islamic style by combining it with the contemporary style, resulting in the combination of art and architecture that receive both praise and critique.
Islam’s perspective on art, Islamic geometry as a fundamental concept, Islamic art of arabesque, calligraphy, and miniature painting and the findings are mentioned below:
- Islam has two major sources of knowledge that laws and theology are derived from these sources. They are the Quran and hadith narrations. Some of these traditions are clear, while others have an indirect relationship with the field of art.
- Islamic Art of arabesque, calligraphy, and miniature painting explains other types of Islamic art and considers two important aspects, i.e. context and Islamic values relating to each art form. This two-tiered structure will elaborate the two aspects in reversible sequence contingent upon the art form and its evolution.
- There are various ways in which Islamic values were artistically expressed in art objects and surfaces. Calligraphy, geometric patterns, floral patterns, vegetative patterns, tessellation, and distortion of perspective were important techniques employed to achieve these values. These techniques primarily comprise the language of Islamic art up to the present time.
- The basis of Islamic geometry comes from the Islamic creed. Islam and geometry both have the same starting point: Unity/Absolute/Tawheed. Tawheed (Oneness of God) is the fundamental concept that Islam emphasizes: there is no god other than God (SWT), which, in mathematical terms, means that there are no parts other than the whole (Mozatti, 2010).
- In Islamic art, geometry is considered the way to achieve beauty in a systematic and logical way. It is a way to take inspiration from the creation as an example of perfection in beauty, learn from its creative structure, and use it to achieve similar successful results. Islamic geometry never lacks symbolism. It is the visual tool for representing Islamic cosmology. From the invisible center of the circle, to the infinite number of patterns, depending on the shapes used in these patterns, they signify multiple events of Islamic history.
- Naturally, in early Islam, writing of Quranic text received much attention in Muslim communities, which allowed a form of art to start that was not yet developed in the Arab region. Calligraphy is the art of writing text in a manner to make it visually pleasant. Arabic calligraphy is perhaps one of the biggest artistic revolutions that were raised by the religion of Islam.
- Arabesque is a stylized way of ornamentation in Islamic art in which natural (vegetative and floral) elements are used on a regulated structure. Although the visuals are natural, an arabesque never intends to imitate nature as the interlacing work is strictly geometric contrary to the random fluidity of natural forms. However, its aim is to recreate just the essence of rhythm and growth that is related to plantation (Sutton, 2007).
- The Persian miniature brought a revolution to the art of the book, which was already a highlighted area of Islamic art owing to the celebrated nature of the Quranic text and also the extensive use of calligraphy.
- The adaptability of Islamic art is indebted to the regional cultures of the several conquered lands and their ways of expression. Taking into account the techniques of geometry, calligraphy, arabesque, and Persian miniature, we can say that Islamic art contributed remarkably the art of the world and developed a unique aesthetic that would continually be associated with the religion of Islam and its glorious past.
- Islamic style is observed from a point of distance in the present era. Although it now appears static and complete, during the Islamic rule, art and architecture were constantly evolving and novel techniques were explored for improvement. Hence, looking to improve Islamic art and architecture and benefiting from the current development would mean staying true to their ideology. Islamic art calls for continuation of its legacy on the basis of its past and inclusive of its present, in order to be relevant in the future.
- Read more: 15 facts about ideology of Islam and art
Featured image: Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran.
Source: hbku.edu.qa/sites/default/files/islamicvaluesinislamicart