Art Inspired by Islam—from an Italian artist

In a time of much suspicion, fear and outright hatred of Others, it's heartening to see foreign cultures and faiths presented with such elegance and dignity, in the work of Italian multimedia artist, Maimouna Guerresi—who explores African culture and is inspired by Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam.

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Of her work, Guerresi says: "They're like ancient icons: whilst their bodies are as empty as dark and mysterious caves, they create new, unknown spaces that are part of an infinite universe."

Contemplating her evocative art, it occurred to me: What if, instead of writing people off as less-than, who are different and dressed in foreign religious attire, we were to consider what these photographs suggest: the sense of spaciousness and liberation these ‘strangers’ actually feel on the inside?

By association, I think of this meditation on emptiness, from another tradition:

"Thirty spokes are joined together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that allows the wheel to function.

We mold clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that makes the vessel useful.

We fashion wood for a house,
but it is the emptiness inside
that makes it livable.

We work with the substantial,
but the emptiness is what we use."

—Laozi, Tao Te Ching

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If you enjoyed the dreamlike and magical aspect of Guerresi‘s art work, here's the artist speaking for herself:

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