Sufism: Expressing Rumi’s thought by painting whirling dervishes
Shafique Farooqi’s work and book launched at Alhamra Art Gallery
Shafique Farooqi’s work and book launched at Alhamra Art Gallery.
LAHORE:
A solo painting exhibition, titled Rhythm of Life, by Shafique Farooqi kicked off on Saturday at Alhamra Art Gallery on The Mall.
A book featuring the artist’s work was also launched with the same title to mark his 10,000 art pieces, 100 exhibitions and 50 years of working as an artist.
More than 20 pieces are on display at the exhibition, being held in collaboration with the Lahore Sufi Festival.
“Having spent a significant part of my life in Turkey, my art is deeply inspired by sufism and the whirling dervishes at [Jalaluddin] Rumi’s mausoleum,” Farooqi told The Express Tribune.
He said whirling was a form of dance adopted by Rumi’s followers. “It is performed in a state of spiritual euphoria.”
Farooqi said the paintings depicted his impressions, observations and emotional experiences in realms of sufism.
A dervish achieves a state of trance and flight while whirling continuously… that is what I have try to portray in my paintings,” Faooqi said.
“I’ve tried to explore the concept of infinity. Most dervishes in my paintings are seen flying around,” he said.
Farooqi said Rumi’s poetry had previously been calligraphed and painted by several artists. “I have tried to express his thought by painting whirling dervishes,” he said.
“My painting takes a viewer to a world where he finds himself travelling on the clouds of spirituality… a journey to heavens.”
The artist received a degree in Fine Arts from the Istanbul Technical University in 1997.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2016.
A solo painting exhibition, titled Rhythm of Life, by Shafique Farooqi kicked off on Saturday at Alhamra Art Gallery on The Mall.
A book featuring the artist’s work was also launched with the same title to mark his 10,000 art pieces, 100 exhibitions and 50 years of working as an artist.
More than 20 pieces are on display at the exhibition, being held in collaboration with the Lahore Sufi Festival.
“Having spent a significant part of my life in Turkey, my art is deeply inspired by sufism and the whirling dervishes at [Jalaluddin] Rumi’s mausoleum,” Farooqi told The Express Tribune.
He said whirling was a form of dance adopted by Rumi’s followers. “It is performed in a state of spiritual euphoria.”
Farooqi said the paintings depicted his impressions, observations and emotional experiences in realms of sufism.
A dervish achieves a state of trance and flight while whirling continuously… that is what I have try to portray in my paintings,” Faooqi said.
“I’ve tried to explore the concept of infinity. Most dervishes in my paintings are seen flying around,” he said.
Farooqi said Rumi’s poetry had previously been calligraphed and painted by several artists. “I have tried to express his thought by painting whirling dervishes,” he said.
“My painting takes a viewer to a world where he finds himself travelling on the clouds of spirituality… a journey to heavens.”
The artist received a degree in Fine Arts from the Istanbul Technical University in 1997.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2016.