“Immigrant stories can be reduced to East-meets-West moments, but Tahir more truthfully converts them into the points in time when new geographical threads are woven.”
Articles
Sanaa Humayun reflects on a meaningful conversation with artist Habiba El-Sayed, considering her diverse approach to ceramics which investigates the influence of the Western gaze on the lives of Muslim women.
Reflecting on the tenacity of her grandmother, Yasmeen Nematt Alla discusses ritual, connection to land, family work, and housekeeping of the self through the multidisciplinary work of South Asian Muslim Canadian artist, Farheen HaQ.
This timely and thoughtful review dives into the symbolic use of materials referencing Persian folktales and manuscript traditions in “A Hundred Times, Why?” by Azadeh Elmizadeh.
“Artists like Alize Zorlutuna highlight the ways in which we cannot be silently complicit anymore—but more importantly, that the only way we can escape disaster is to decolonize our thinking and walk the path of better relations with the help of the Indigenous peoples of all lands.”
Tazeen Qayyum reflects on her career as an artist in both Pakistan and Canada, sharing a selection of her artworks which have informed her artistic practice and contrasting cultural experiences in both countries.
Referencing social media works by African, Muslim, non-binary trans artist Maroodi, Abdi Osman discusses the ways in which the legacies of colonialism and imperialism shape debates on sexual minority cultures in the African, Black, and Muslim worlds.
The Muslims in Canada Archives’ lead archivist, Moska Rokay, works to reclaim narratives in the current Canadian archival landscape — offering a proactive, generative response to an often defensive posture in academia and policy sectors.
In her series ‘The Intricacies of Wholeness’ artist Samar Hejazi uses tatreez to connect with and transform the motifs, methodology, and societal ideologies associated with the traditional Palestinian embroidery technique. From this series, ‘Little Blue-six’ is prominently featured as the cover image for BlackFlash issue 38.3.
‘Infinities’ brings together a range of Canadian artists and writers to examine the influence of the traditions and conventions of Islamic visual cultures on contemporary art. From techniques and symbols to concepts and designs, artists such as Tazeen Qayyum, Abdi Osman, Shaheer Zazai, Azadeh Elmizadeh, and Jamelie Hassan have employed various methods and materials to not only show the ways in which Islamic visual cultures continues to inform their work, but also the challenges, possibilities and implications in doing so.
This series of poems germinates from Mercedes Eng and Cecily Nicholson’s volunteer work for Emma’s Acres during the pandemic. Poetry work is a necessary documenting and honouring practice in this place as we plant toward abolitionist futures.