By Mary Moore, Graphic Designer
It’s the end of the semester. Meal plans are running out, so is your motivation and patience to crack open another book and take another round of finals. There’s no genie to grant you three wishes, but there’s still a magic get away at Hofstra through starry motifs and a cosmic mash of calligraphy and image.
Don’t worry, the likes of Astronomy or Robin Williams is not necessary.
Inspired by her Egyptian trip abroad, Fatimah White, an Art Education major, focuses on the interplay of dream worlds, poetry and calligraphy in “Higher Power,” her ten-piece painting exhibition in the FORM gallery.
Fatimah’s show explores a much more personal, abstract medium, which was influenced by Egypt’s sacred nature.
“I wanted to paint the true emotion, not something materialistic and superficial,” she said.
“A Star Without A Name,” is a poem, which also serves as the title for her acrylic piece reflecting the Orion constellation. The canvas’ chalky night sky is complemented by streaks of deep Carolina blues, purples, pinks and a hint of gold, with a few white dots for stars.
“That’s how you came here, like a star without a name,” Fatimah said. “We’re a dot in this big universe. [The idea is] there’s something else out there, something magical.”
Although the poetry is supposed to help the audience “get it,” the calligraphy is hidden in many variations: a raindrop, along the wings of a bird or in the shape of a boat floating on water.
“[Fatimah’s] art is the same as Islam in a way…there are certain acts through repetition you transcend to what’s important,” said Salem Enayetullah, a Muslim Student Association member.
In “The True Sufi,” the piece which Salem refers to, Fatimah depicts three people celebrating Sufism, or Islamic mysticism, through a mixture of soft swirls, as they spin around for hours, trying to grow closer to a higher power.
At this point, the books are boring, but “Higher Power” makes everyday trials seem unnecessary. You may want to try to see the sky through New York’s city lights or spin around in circles. But don’t put all your faith into finding gold in “a whole new world” like Aladdin, when there is a gem in Calkins Hall.
