Amal Al-Sibai

Saudi Gazette

Great news for Londoners and for tourists visiting London and those who were in the city during the Eid holidays: Be sure to stop by at the must-see interactive Haj Art Exhibition, organized by Ahlan Art, scheduled for Oct. 6 until Oct. 12, at the Holiday Inn, Wembley. It is the first ever interactive Haj art exhibition and entry is free.



For those who are unable to take the spiritual journey for Haj this year, if you are in London you can get a glimpse of the Haj experience by visiting the art exhibit. Get a feel of the colors, the unity yet diversity between Muslims, the spirituality, and the vibrancy of the Haj.  



The exhibit features the work of two of the world’s leading Islamic artists, Saddiqa Juma and Peter Gould. As well as showcasing a number of pieces designed exclusively for this exhibition, there will be one art piece for the public to make their mark on canvas.



Ahlan Art is recreating Siddiq Juma’s popular painting, ‘Diversity’ which has gained world recognition. You can place your own brush stroke on a new, Haj art piece, as did many members of the London community, including singer Sami Yusuf. This is your opportunity to add your touch to the canvas.



The exhibition highlights modern, contemporary, abstract as well as classical art centered around the magnificent Kaaba. There will be an opportunity to meet the artists at the evening networking events.



Ahlan Art, based in London, is a new Islamic Art gallery that aims to create a new perspective for Islamic Art by bringing together a community of creative professionals around the world. It offers Muslim artists a unique platform to share their story and voice their passion.



Guided by the Qur’an and Islamic tradition, Siddiqa Juma creates art that celebrates a rich religious and cultural heritage. She uses vibrant colors in a contemporary style to reflect a universal spirituality.



It is not just the content and subject matter of Siddiqa’s work that reveals her beliefs; the process by which her work is created has much to tell. Siddiqa’s pieces are characterized by successive layers of vivid color and intricate repetitive patterns and calligraphy. Her artwork reveals her unending eagerness to engage with the faith with which she grew up. With each stroke she takes to paint a canvas of Allah’s name, it is her personal form of tasbih, or praising and glorifying Allah. Creating these pieces is an act of devotion in itself, a form of meditation, in which each word she utters and each dash of color she adds is a small offering to God.



In her artwork, she is often fixated on Haj, the pilgrimage that every Muslim endeavors to perform at least once in their lifetime. Siddiqa has not yet made this journey herself, and so her work communicates not the experience or the process of performing the Haj, but a yearning to embark on that journey, with all the elements on every canvas gravitating irresistibly towards the holy city. This desire has given her work a central focus, one that communicates all at once the nearness and the distance between Siddiqa and her faith.



“Siddiqa Juma’s painting has a capacity to reflect the mystery of the spiritual and draws the viewer into a relationship with the image. By using the name of Allah in one of the specific colors, the integrity and depth of the faith are reflected in a way that interacts rather than imposes,” said Reverend James Linthicum.



“Siddiqa Juma’s paintings are a bold and vibrant collection of artwork that speak from the heart,” said Humera Khan, author, activist and educator.



Also on display at the Haj Art Exhibition is the work of the Muslim, Australian artist, Peter Gould.



“I love to work on creative projects that illuminate, enrich, and inspire insha’Allah,” says Gould.



His innovative, award-winning creative work is highly sought after globally. Peter Gould has touched many international audiences through interviews, speaking engagements, graphic design workshops and projects, art exhibitions, branding workshops and publications. “My intention is to develop the world’s most exciting and respected Muslim-oriented brands, products, and creative experiences, insha’Allah,” he said.



Upon graduation from the University of Technology in Sydney, Gould founded a creative studio. Since 2003, Gould has worked with a dedicated team designing beautiful brands. His agency has a simple, honest approach to business and has worked with a broad spectrum of clients including Etihad Airways, Sami Yusuf, Zaytuna College, and many others.



Some branding and design projects he has helped launch include Hadith of the Day (a daily app which has over 6 million members), 5Pillars board game, the global Halal Food Festival in London, Discover Malaysia, and the recently opened Islamic Museum of Australia.