Location: Exhibited at old Favre Leuba, Badri Mahal, Mumbai, India.
Exhibition Design: Radiant Arts – India
Alefiya’s Role: Curator and Artist
Year: 2025

Artist Concept:
In the tapestry of Sufi symbolism, my artist concept weaves together the threads of Fana (the annihilation of the ego), Baqa (remaining in divine unity), Insan e Kamil (The Perfect Human), the stately cypress tree, and delicate blossoms. These elements embody the Sufi path towards spiritual union with the divine, a journey of profound transformation and unity.

The cypress tree, upright yet slightly bent, stands as a symbol of the Perfect Man’s  graceful submissiveness to Allah’s will. Intertwined by a flowering vine, these elements symbolize the beauty, transience, and cycle of life. The blossoms represent the vitality of spiritual growth and the fleeting nature of existence, reminding us of the preciousness of each moment on the spiritual path.

Through Fana, the seeker “dies” to the confines of the selfish ego, and in Baqa, they “remain” in the boundless unity with the divine. Insan e Kamil represents the pinnacle of human potential, where the individual achieves profound harmony with the divine through spiritual growth and self-realization. The interplay of these symbols reflects the Sufi quest for unity with the divine, a journey of love, surrender, and transcendence.

In the poetic and visual arts of Islam, the cypress tree is a recurring metaphor, often appearing in Islamic Art and Architecture . Intertwined with blossoms, it symbolizes The Union– of the Lover and the Beloved, the student and Sufi teacher, or the feminine and masculine principles coming together.

Artworks:

• Khakha:
  Size: 6.5×18 inches.
  Medium: Walnut ink and graphite on Indian Hemp Wasli.
  
  
• Fanna:
  Size: 6.5×18 inches.
  Medium: Walnut ink, 24ct pure shell gold and natural pigments on Indian Hemp Wasli.
   
• Baqaa:
  Size: 6.5×18 inches.
  Medium: 22ct green gold and natural pigments on Indian Hemp Wasli.
  
  
• Insan-e-Kamil:
  Size: 6.5×18 inches.
  Medium: 24ct pure shell gold, 22ct green gold and natural pigments on Indian Hemp Wasli.
  
  
• Wahdat al wujud – Unity of being:
  Size: 13×18 inches.
  Medium: 24ct pure shell gold, gouache and natural pigments on Indian Hemp Wasli.
  
  
• Najaah – A Series of 6:
  Size: 6×7 inches.
  Medium: 24ct pure shell gold, gouache and natural pigments on Indian Hemp paper.