2019.11.10
Archival Ink on Paper
96.52 cm x 59.69 cm (unframed)
127 cm x 91.44 cm (framed)

This artwork is a slight departure from my practice in that it aims to clearly display a dissection of the mathematical code inherent in prominent aspects of Islamic Geometry. It uses the hairline precision of a black-ink technical pen to reveal the skeletal framework of infinite tessellations. The focus of this work is the octagon, a shape that is revered and foundational in Islamic Geometry. Within the piece, 17 larger octagons and 163 smaller octagons – both Prime numbers - are precisely interlinked to fit exactly into the strict parameters of a Golden Ratio rectangle. To further illustrate the integrity of this construction, the entire drawing was made without the use of a compass, instead relying on the 1.5mm hand-drawn square background grid on which anchor points were meticulously calculated and plotted. This piece is a tribute to the generations of Islamic artists like my grandfather, who have worked for centuries at the intersection of the mystical and mathematical to illustrate the deliberate perfection of The Grand Design.