Thursday, October 31, 2013

599d

Are we Impious (as Rumi says) or Hypocrites (as per Hafez)?

The verse by Rumi (on the left side) says: "Become drunk with Love, for Love is all that exists".

The verse by Hafez (right side) says: "Ecstasy is unknown to the Sufi, because of his pride".

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

599c

And yet the question lingers upon my heart...

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

599b

This image is also inspired by the exhibition *Sehnsucht Persien* at the Museum Rietberg in Zurich. The artist, Mir Afzal al-Hoseyni, was active in Isfahan around 1640.

Al-Hoseyni was probably inspired by Antonio Raimondi's Cleopatra, a copper engraving made in Rome around 1515-1527. You can see both images on the upper left side of the pdf flyer: just click here!

Monday, October 28, 2013

599a

The image above is inspired by the painting "Junge Frau in georgischer Tracht" (Young woman in Georgian costume) which is the highlight of the exhibition "Sehnsucht Persien" (The Fascination of Persia) held at the Museum Rietberg in Zurich, Switzerland.

If you enjoyed the novel *My Name Is Red* by Orhan Pamuk, you will find yourself visually delving into the artistic debate described in that story.

Also, another exhibition at the Museum Rietberg is worth visiting: *Yaks, Yetis, Yogis: Tibet in Comics*.

Although apparently unrelated to the former, besides being highly enjoyable, Yaks, Yetis, Yogis develops -using a different approach and medium- the same concept of meeting the "Otherness", i.e. that mix of attraction and suspicion which is aroused within us through the encounter with another culture.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Saturday, October 26, 2013

The Tavern of Joyful Learning

This is the first of a series of six drawings I made between 2005 and 2006, inspired by the group Sufis Without Borders.

I do not know why I am publishing them now (every Saturday, the last will be on November 30), just felt like having them here at FWB.

Ink on tracing paper, 30x30 cm/12"x12".

Friday, October 25, 2013

The Call of the Owl

Enjoy Colouring the Froggies!

Thursday, October 24, 2013

598d

Is it?!?

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

598c

Begone besotted fool! And make sure your mournful lines of poetry will follow you!! This is a house of logic and reason!!!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

598b

The owl sings his plaintive song...
My heart is like a fire! When you breath on it... it becomes alive! (Maulana Rumi)

Monday, October 21, 2013

598a

As night falls on Princess Angelica's castle...
دلم چو آتش چون در دمي شود زنده

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Zebra Within Lemons

A study of Yellows on parchment paper. There is also a winged frog in the bowl, although invisible from this particular perspective ;-)

Friday, October 18, 2013

Better Safe than Sorry

Add your colours to the Froggies!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

597d

I booked a flight to a Vegan country: Better safe than sorry!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

597c

Also, should anyone be concerned about Nuvoletta, Mullah Frögü's lamb...

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

597b

That Ibrahim (عليه سلام) was given a lamb, not a frog. Happy Eid!

Monday, October 14, 2013

597a

Today we are deeply grateful...

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Pizzeria Zikrullah 2

Salute!
Cheers!!
Santé!!!

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Pizzeria Zikrullah 1

Such a good Pizza!
But where is the Wine?
It comes after Zikr!

Friday, October 11, 2013

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Add your colours to the Froggies!
About Taraxacum officinale

Thursday, October 10, 2013

596d

Tsk tsk. Her inner boundaries collapsed.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

596c

We will blow them out of reason, like kids [blow] dandelions!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

596b

If our tears and our sorrows are the most precious of secrets...

Monday, October 7, 2013

596a

Let's go for a walk in this garden of words...

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Joie de vivre! (Three Sailing Zebras)

"Joie de vivre" means Joy of Living, a simple feeling of gratitude for being alive.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Sufi Methodism...Hic!

Add your colours to the Froggies!

Thursday, October 3, 2013

595d

But the Sufis have a method to awaken our innate faculty of transcendence!

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

595c

We have lost our connection with the Holy -she says- therefore we scratch about in the mud...

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

595b

She also says that God is very different from what priests and mullahs teach...