Eid 2021 Greetings: Virtual gallery featuring Black Muslim artist Nsenga Knight

Happy Eid-Ul Adha 2021! 

Please enjoy this series of artworks by acclaimed Black Muslim artist Nsenga Knight depicting the Hajj.

The Meeting Place (Detail), 2012, 7 20x30 inch ink drawings on acetate adhered to wall with latex paint.

"I installed this series at the Galveston Art Center back in 2012. It faces the windows so the sunlight can pass over the work through the day, allowing the viewer to see the work differently over time. Today is the day of Arafat when hajj pilgrims sit on the mountain 🏔 thus named and ask Allah for everything their hearts desire. This day of atonement is one of the few sedentary rituals on the hajj. Over time, throughout the day the pilgrim is transformed and elevated to higher spiritual stations as they shed their sins and gain increased closeness to Allah." 

Tawaf/ Sa'y: Butterfly/ Eagle, 22.5 x 22.5, oil stick and gesso on vegetable parchment paper mounted on canvas.

"My Tawaf/ Sa’y series is inspired by, and appropriates text from Ali Shariati's memoir, Hajj: Reflection on Its Rituals. In his memoir, Shariati (1933-1977 the Iranian revolutionary and sociologist often called "ideologue of the Iranian Revolution") makes the story of Hajjar - a Black woman from whom the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the arabs descend, central to the understanding of the hajj rituals. As a Black Muslim woman artist who often feels marginalized in conversations about Islam, I was drawn to Shariati's memoir because of the way in which he so purposefully centered and elevated Hajjar and her story, even stating that "The rites of Hajj are a memory of Hajjar." I see myself in Hajjar."

Tawaf/ Say is a series of 12 text paintings with 3 sub-series variations.

Must-Try Non-Alcoholic Christmas and Thanksgiving Mocktail Recipes	Jada's first step to over 20 years of Sobriety	Brooklyn Brewed Sorrel is Beyoncé & Beyhive approved