Aisha Khan
Painting
At the Heart
Acrylic on canvas
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The calligraphy (in red) reads “mohabbat” which is an Urdu word, not Arabic (as most popular calligraphy is usually). “At the heart”, there is love which is what “mohabbat“ means. Outlining the letters is the shape of a human heart.
Beat and it is
Acrylic on canvas
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Depicted is a white electrocardiogram, and if viewed right to left, it was originally flat and then there are arabic letters which lead to the lines symbolizing a beating heart. The arabic letters read “Kun Fayakun” which means “Be and it is”. For me, my art is an intersection of things I love—health, language, calligraphy and religion. “Be and it is” is a saying in Islam, said by God, as according to my Islamic beliefs, God dictates what is and then, it is. The miracle of life is in his hands, symbolized by those iconic words.