Bobby Degeratu
My calligram project contains a basic nature scene with one change: all major features–the sun’s rays, the trees’ leaves, and the blooming flowers–are constructed with the word Allah in Arabic. This design was inspired by our discussion in Week 2, and the Quranic idea that God’s presence is everywhere: “to God belongs the East and the West, so wherever you turn, there will be the face of God” (2:115). Since there is no conceivable depiction of God’s face, the closest association in my calligram is the recurrence of the word Allah.
My depiction also highlights a related concept, which is the possibility of not seeing God with the “right eye.” From afar, it might just look like I drew a typical hill and some trees, but upon closer inspection, an observer can distinguish the repetition of Allah. As attributed to Sa’adi in Week 4, “every leaf of the tree becomes a page of the sacred scripture once the soul has learned to read.” I tried to reflect this idea: Allah is everywhere in my drawing (as he is for Muslims) but only if you look carefully and meaningfully.
I also included subtler hints to some major themes we have discussed in class. For example, I did not just draw objects using the word Allah, but also one animal in particular: bees. This was inspired by Quran verse 16:68-69, which explained how Allah inspired bees to build houses in the mountains–a sign of His involvement in creation that I did not want to omit. Furthermore, every appearance of Allah in my creation is somewhat different, whether in color or size, to emphasize a central idea of the cultural studies approach. Belief in Allah, just like adherence to any major figure or religion, is never exactly the same between people.