Making the Invisible Visible, The Hidden Geometry in Nature

The exhibition 'Making the Invisible Visible, The Hidden Geometry in Nature' by multimedia artist Shafaq Ahmad opened on December 17, 2014 at Sharjah Art Museum as a part of the 17th edition of Islamic Arts Festival in Sharjah.

Installation view from the exhibition 'Making the Invisible Visible, The Hidden Geometry in Nature' / Courtesy of Shafaq Ahmad

The current edition of the Festival, under the theme 'Art & Science', highlights Islamic art through a variety of significant art exhibitions, seminars and workshops organized by Directorate of Art.

In the installation of the work 'Making the Invisible Visible, The Hidden Geometry in Nature', Shafaq Ahmad is inspired by her inner thoughts and her natural surroundings to make the imagery. She combines themes of Nature, Islamic traditions and multiculturalism by using digital technology and incorporating the study of science in particular, fractal geometry to create her compositions.

Installation view from the exhibition 'Making the Invisible Visible, The Hidden Geometry in Nature' / Courtesy of Shafaq Ahmad

This series is inspired by the hidden geometry in Nature, present in everything in the Universe. From the human body, to animal life to plants and outer space, there is geometry and repetition of shapes and forms throughout. For Ahmad this order and endless repetition points towards the infinite and creates a contemplative state of mind to reflect upon the visible/invisible. For her, the rhythm and vibrations caused by the repetition points to the meditation of each thing on its point of Origin.

To make this series Ahmad photographed trees and combined multiple photographs to make each image in order to push the idea of fractal geometry, symmetry, rhythm and repetition present in Nature, and to appreciate the natural world around us. A fractal is a mathematical set that typically displays self-similar patterns. Fractals may be exactly the same at every scale, or, they may be nearly the same at different scales. The concept of fractal extends beyond self-similarity and includes the idea of a detailed pattern repeating itself. Her work also evokes a sense of past history while embracing the present, stepping into the contemporary world and looking to the future. In her digital images she is concerned with the geometric relationships of the parts to the whole of the composition, as she believes that each thing in the universe is relevant to the whole.

Installation view from the exhibition 'Making the Invisible Visible, The Hidden Geometry in Nature' / Courtesy of Shafaq Ahmad

In her work she attempts to bring awareness to the preservation of our natural world. She wants to evoke a thought process in the viewer and wants them to reflect on the world around them as well as within. Her work through the use of balance and harmony emphasizes the importance of keeping the balance in the natural world by respecting each thing and giving each thing its due. Personally she works toward achieving a balance which grounds her as a person and tries to transfer the calm and harmony she feels to her audience through her work. Technically, she challenges herself, without compromising her aesthetic vision and integrity or her love of beauty and design. In her work Ahmad strives to dissolve the barriers and hierarchies between cultures to achieve an inclusive human experience.

Read the interview with Shafaq Ahmad HERE.