Cardiff, Wales: Fitting art into life as a medical student
Flashback to 17 year old me. I was an A level student who was trying to figure out what to do with her life whilst reading Médecins Sans Frontières and watercolour magazines simultaneously. I was studying art alongside my sciences and maths courses because I figured a full A-level in art might do me the world of good as a creative.
Beginning to pay attention
Art was part of my routine growing up - everyone had something they did in their spare time, art was my thing. Taking art classes was a huge new change for me, something I only took up at college. I remember my first lesson, I walked into this incredible art department with high skylights to let the light in and white walls with really professional artwork. The art library was filled with students working on Macs and others picking out different textures of paper. The classrooms were so spacious, with layers upon layers of dry paint on the tables in the centre of the rooms like evidence of creative labour. Art students looked different, they were more expressive in their clothes, in the way they spoke - it was kind of fascinating to observe as a ‘science-y person’. It felt like a whole different world.
Once we had our allocated seats for the year we were asked to feel our faces and draw a self-portrait only through touch - ‘what on earth am I doing this is hilarious’, I thought to myself. We proceeded to do other strange exercises, like drawing the word ‘fear’, and ‘simple’ and ‘fluid’ and then bordering out parts of the page that created brushstrokes that worked well together. I would go on to understand artistic concepts more over the next two years, learning how to cultivate and advance ideas and gain a better insight into different mediums. Not to mention, every single human I befriended, I think about today because they were the first of my fellow creative community, I catch myself thinking… Lucy was the sunshine of those art lessons, I hope she is doing well…I wish I did meet up with everyone more…I wonder what Dante is up to now? I always knew he’d go far…I wonder if Avneet kept up his incredible sketching….I still can’t get over Penuel’s exhibited work, just amazing.. and then I realise the lecture on liver failure has completely gone over my head, but that’s okay. Oops.
Artist research for one of my projects during my first year of Art A level
Most people who studied art at A level went down creative paths, foundation years in art or fasion, architecture, graphic design, interior design or illustration. Meanwhile, I chose to take my incredible experiences during those two years of creating art and still apply for Medicine. I hadn’t found my niche in art, where my seat was in the art world. At this point, all I knew was that I was a creative at heart. I had no idea how to take that further alongside my medical endeavours.
And then I downloaded instagram.
At the time I was going through a ‘spiritual search’ for a higher purpose than good grades, a career, and whatnot. That search lead me to paying more attention to the Quran and my faith. I developed a better understanding of my Islamic faith but also the concept of having trust or ‘tawakkul’ in God’s plan. I began exploring the idea of art that reminded me of God, I didn’t know if that was a thing. Baring in mind, I had never studied a Muslim artist, nor did I have any fellow Muslim creatives. I then discovered Peter Gould, an artist, photographer and entrepreneur who had beautiful artwork and photography. His story of how he came to Islam and then into the creative Islamic world captivated me. Having studied buildings at A level, I was instantly drawn to his photography - the moorish architecture of Spain and the arches and doors of Morocco. I saw all these beautiful pieces that had Arabic words as their focus, I look closer - verses from the Quran. I was blown away. This was a thing, and soon enough it would become the niche that I purseued. I felt like I discovered something special, I had found that there were Muslim creatives and entrepreneures out there - including start-ups such as Launchgood, a crowd-funding platform that I happened to come across.
Artwork and photography by Peter Gould (source: ahlanart.com)
I went on to learn the basics of Arabic Calligraphy through Omar Uddin’s Arabic Calligraphy course - focussing on the naskh and thuluth scripts. I continued to follow Arabic calligraphers and other creatives that focused in Islamic traditional art. After a lot of digging into this whole new world I had become so fascinated by, I eventually came across the Prince’s School of Traditional Art. A London-based art school where you can do master’s programs (they also have open courses) into various traditional art, including Arabic calligraphy and geometric patterns. I also came to learn of Art of Islamic Pattern, founded by Adam Williamson and Richard Henry. They provide programs both in the UK and internationally that allow you to learn new patterns but also gain skills in plaster carving, marquetry and so much more. I remember connecting my computer to the TV in the living room and showing my family the slideshows of the Art of Islamic Pattern’s international courses. I didn’t realise that about 20 minutes later, it was just me watching the architecture of Morocco and Southern Spain over and over.
practicing arabic calligraphy
I soon packed my bags and went to University.
It was September 2014, I had spent a year out which was an incredible blessing, and was back to move down to Wales. Art took a bit of a back seat in the first few months as I was trying to adjust to lectures and note-making, many hours of full body dissection and learning the physics of blood flow through vessels. During my second semester, a friend of mine sent me details of an Islamic patterns workshop by Eric Broug. Eric Broug is an educator and designer of Islamic patterns, and during the workshop he showed us such beautiful pictures of Islamic Art around the world and then taught us some geometry basics. I bought his book and my Islamic geometry journey started from there.
In the following year, I decided to delay flying out to visit my family in order to fit in a week-long art summer school in London with Art of Islamic Pattern. I made a pact with myself at the end of my second year of Uni that I would really give my creative side attention. I’d just finished and passed my clinical exams and felt like I could spend my summer focussing on art. The studio the course was based in overlooked the canals, the experience little life-changing. I’d catch the tube everyday, carrying my art materials and lunch with me.. sometimes practicing some patterns. Adam and Richard are such wonderful humans! Presentations on Islamic art and history, demonstrations, and a plaster carving workshop on the last day.Just incredible. The people I met really inspired me too, some had travelled from New York, Abu Dhabi, India, and Canada with goals that were much the same as mine. I would highly recommend booking yourself onto a course, and another, and another. I check their website an average of ten times a month to see if I can make another course!
Adam Williamson and Richard Henry teaching during the Art of Islamic Pattern’s summer school
Since that summer, Uni has become a lot more clinical and life has become a bit busier with shadowing doctors in the hospital and doing a few on calls and night shifts as I practice for the post-Uni life. I still go on day trips to London for various exhibitions, creative events and such to top up on the inspo. I really am trying to keep the art alive. I remember taking Friday the 19th October 2018 off to go to the British Museum which had opening a new Islamic Art gallery known as ‘The Albukhary Foundation Gallery‘ the day before. There, I met Siddiqa Juma, a contemporary Islamic artist whose work I have been following for years, much love to my friend Fatima for nudging me to go and introduce myself to an internationally renowned artist like her! I feel like it is important to go to these things, and make it a part of my story.
…and that brings me onto today,
Wednesday the 6th February. A day before I turn 24, and 3 days before I attend Peter Gould’s Creating From the Heart workshop in London. As you’re reading this, I want you to think of the little things that actually turned out to be big things in your journey as a creative, perhaps you’re an artist, illustrator or a photographer, perhaps something else? Little and often goes a long way, and although sometimes I wish I had more time to paint and attend more art courses, I know that everything that does and doesn’t happen is so out of wisdom.
“What has reached you was never meant to miss you and what has missed you was never meant to reach you."
Prophet Muhammad pbuh
Doesn’t that make you breathe a little? I feel like I was meant to enter Medicine. But I was also meant to be a part of the creative world. I was meant meet Eric Broug, Adam Williamson, Richard Henry, Siddiqa Juma and others. I was meant to exhibit and create. It didn’t happen over night and I am still very much at the beginning of my journey but it all these experiences and opportunities feel special to me. I also love sharing them with everyone, in case it inspires at least one person out there!
I cherish all of the opportunities and the moments that I once dreamed and made dua for. Until next time - blogsanctuary readers!
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