The Vitra Design Museum explores diversity in Muslim societies through its exhibit Living Under the Crescent Moon
Domestic Cultures in the Arab World. While many artists and architects draw inspiration from the Arab world, desingers have little information on daily life of Arab societies beyond the daily political reports. The exhibit will be on display from February 23, 2008 - August 31, 2008 and will explore the myths and realities of domestic life in Arab cultures.

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I made the following painting on canvas with acrylic paint. Instead of tracing the design on the canvas, I used gloss medium to adhere a paper template to the canvas and then added the paint color on top. It took a long time to get the hues where I wanted them, but I am happy with the end result. The painting is 48 x 24 inches (120×240 cm). It is currently hanging over my fireplace, where it makes a nice impact. It is relaxing to look at. The pattern continues off the canvas.

Interested in purchasing? I am selling it for $550 USD through Google Checkout.

You can contact me at sarah@moroccandesign.com with any questions.

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I took a picture of this donkey in Fes in 2000. My inspiration is the color of the bottles and the texture of the wall. It is an original 11×14 inch (28×36 cm) acrylic painting on canvas. I used some light molding paste to add texture.

You can buy this original painting through Google Checkout for $150 USD.

If you have any questions, email me directly at sarah@moroccandesign.com.

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I came across a door in the medina in Marrakesh that a stylized version of the word love etched into the ancient wood. I’m consistently amazed at the type of architecture that falls prey to graffiti in Morocco; ancient zillij, old doorways, marble columns. In this case, with the door in a state of disrepair, and I found the graffiti oddly endearing.

Painting is 20×20 inches (51×51 cm), acrylic paint on canvas.

Selling original for $250 through Google Checkout.

You can contact me with any questions at sarah@moroccandesign.com.

As I research the underlying archetypes and philosophies of Moroccan art and design, I’ve begun to suspect the West has a bit of an inferiority complex when it comes to Islamic achievements in art. Islam isn’t commonly credited with having Art, with a capital A. Rather, Islamic art is labeled as decoration or ornamentation. This is probably because 1) the Islamic empire established sophisticated art forms by the 11th century, several hundred years before the Renaissance, which gave European civilizations a political motivation to claim the influence as their own; and 2) Islamic artists don’t do paintings.

Universal Symbolism and Islam's Contributions to Art

I have found mysefl neck deep in Pythagorean theory, which is interesting since Pythagoras didn’t write anything. I got here by researching the origins of zillij. I’m researching connections between astronomy, Pythagoras, Sufism, and Islamic ornamentation.

Resources: Pythagoras, Sufism, and Geometric Art

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This painting I created by cropping a photo of a zillij mosaic installation. I created a paper template which I adhered to a canvas using gloss medium. I built up the color on top using it to create a center focus. Getting the colors “right” was key. The painting is 18×24 inches (46×60cm).

You can purchase for $150 USD through Google Checkout.

If you have any questions, email me directly at sarah@moroccandesign.com.

Don’t have the time and money to travel to Fes? Don’t have access Islamic art at the local museum? Help has arrived. I’ve collected the following links to Islamic and Moroccan art so you can get your culture-fix without leaving the computer. How’s that for efficiency?

See the list of museums

A ten day exchange and research project in Morocco focuses on exploring philosophical, cultural, and spiritual values of decorative and ornamental imagery. About fifteen international artists will collaborate with local artists, curators, writers and intellectuals in Morocco. The project, called ‘Code Ornemental,’ aims to challenge preconceptions about decorative art and crafts. The partner/coproducer of the project in Morocco is Abdellah Karroum (initiator of L’Appartement 22).

After the conclusion of the project in Morocco, the fifteen exchange artists will create one or several new pieces. Their works will be presented in a major group exhibition in the S.M.A.K. Subsequently this exhibition will travel to partner institutions abroad. Hopefully, the exhibit will make it to Washington, DC, as it sounds like a very exciting project and I would love a chance to see the results.

For more information, visit: The Curated Object.