Hafsa Murtaza, Sujud Series, 2024
Oil on panel.
11 in x 14 in each
My series of realistically rendered surreal paintings juxtapose symbols of the Canadian environment with Islamic motifs, such as prayer mats, postures and Islamic monuments. A bending tree in Killbear Provincial Park painted by the Group of Seven artist F.H. Varley, sits atop a prayer mat, suggesting that the symbolic Canadian tree bends in prostration, or sujud, towards the direction of Mecca. Similarly, the northern lights shine above the Kaaba in Mecca, signifying that Muslims in the northern hemisphere have as much connection to the Kaaba as those in the Eastern "Islamic world." The arched form of forest trees becomes reminiscent of hypostyle mosque interiors, and animals bending to eat resemble the arched posture of prostration. Thus, Canadian topography becomes reflective of and informed by Islamic culture.
Sujud Series 1, 2024
Oil on panel.
11 in x 14 in
Sujud Series 2, 2024
Oil on panel.
11 in x 14 in
Sujud Series 3, 2024
Oil on panel.
11 in x 14 in
Sujud Series 4, 2024
Oil on panel.
11 in x 14 in
Sujud Series 5, 2024
Oil on panel.
11 in x 14 in
Place as a concept defines more than space, time and geography, encompassing contextual cultures, traditions and religions. Postcolonial theorists study Indigenous interconnectedness with Place, yet little research explores an Islamic relation to Place that comes from a sense of Self that is responsible towards and embodied within nature. Homeland in Arabic is watan, translating to a place one chooses as a home, not necessarily a place one has ancestral roots or was born in. Consequently, Muslims live around the globe, bringing their religion and culture to diverse geographies. My painting series challenges stereotypes and ideological divisions between East and West by presenting an Islamic perspective of the Canadian landscape where I live as a Muslim Canadian.