Institute of Traditional Islamic Art & Architecture

Today in class we had a guest speaker come and share information about his Doctoral research which focuses on Islamic Philosophy in higher education.  His research is based in Amman, Jordan, at a school called "The Institute of Traditional Islamic Art & Architecture".  At this school, students are taught traditional techniques and practices of Islamic Art such as Arabesque, Geometric, and Calligraphic designs.

Geometric design in wood carving

 

Calligraphy

Example of Islamic tile-work

According to our speaker, the school's basic philosophy is based on these tenets:

"Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty."
     This phrase is a saying of Abdullah Ibn Mas'ood and means that creation is art that comes from the creator and therefore art should reflect and embody creation.  In other words, Islamic art seeks to emulate the subtle beauty of the universe through such things as 1) geometric designs, often which have patterns based on such detail as the patterns of a fly's eye, 2) proportions, using specific human  measurements to achieve ideal proportions within a space, making people feel "part" of their space and 3)Calligraphy, which is considered the highest art, since it embodies the Word of Allah.

"Education is to shape the soul for eternity."
     This philosophy, in my opinion, was the most thought-provoking.  What this means is that students begin to see their "soul" brought out in their work.  For instance, due to the intricate details in Islamic Art, students must meticulously hand-paint, draw, or craft pieces of art which requires an immense amount of patience.  Therefore students begin to see how distractions or emotions can influence their art; that is to say,  if a student is angry, sad, frustrated, or emotions one should not feel while crafting a piece of Islamic art, it will show through and unbalance or upset the piece (curves will not be as graceful, or patterns unsymmetric).

These arts are taught not only because of their religious importance and relevance, but also because of the cultural significance as well.  As globalization continues to connect world and cover it in a homogenous, and frankly, empty society, it is important to maintain aspects of cultures such as art so they are not lost forever, and continue to give us another way to understand and interpret the world in which we live.

http://www.itiaa.edu.jo/