Introduction to Islamic Illumination

Discover the ancient art of Islamic Illumination, where you'll learn to paint a traditional Khatai motif using gouache and gold. This hands-on taster course will guide you through the traditional techniques used in Islamic Illumination art, a centuries-old practice that adorned the pages of the Quran and other revered texts.

Illumination, meaning light, is a fitting term for this art form, which involves the meticulous application of gold to create breathtakingly beautiful designs. Originally used to decorate sacred texts, Islamic Illumination art evolved to encompass poetry and storytelling books, becoming a symbol of status and refinement when gifted or collected.

About the Artist Alefiya Abbas Ali

Alefiya is an artist based in Karachi, Pakistan. She holds a degree in fine arts with distinction from Karachi School of art. Her major subjects were Mughal miniature painting and print making.

Traditionalist to the core and for her passion to learn more about traditional arts she did a post-graduation diploma in Traditional Islamic arts from VM Centre of Traditional Arts (Karachi centre of Prince’s School of Art, London). She secured first position in the program.

Alefiya believes her skill and creativity got a golden touch of knowledge and understanding of Traditional arts. Her art is inspired by Islamic arts and architecture of Mamluk, Safavid, Fatimid and Mughal era.

If you can't attend live don't worry - all ticket holders will recieve a recording of the workshop to watch back at your convenience.