ECO TIMES
The Monthly News Journal of ECO Cultural Institute (ECI)
www.ecieco.org March 2009 page 96
Iranian Artist: Reza Asle Najafi Fard
Unveiling the Largest Miniature Masterpiece
Responding to the Sacrilegious Cartoons Insulting Prophet (PBUH) of Islam
Editor’s Note :
Artists have the potential of capturing an alternative vision of the world, as art provides a bridge for communication and helps identify and express emotions. When faith intermingles with art, it sees no boundaries and heads towards the sky . The great philosopher and mystic, Khalil Gibran, once said: “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you, as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you, as by the way your mind looks at what happens ”. In the past couple of years, publication of a series of provocative and blasphemous cartoons produced by Danish newspapers and a few other European publications, insulting the Holy Prophet of Islam (PBUH), had sparked violent protests in many countries. Several Islamic governments strongly condemned those racist attacks instigated by some western countries .
The Jeddah-based Organization of the Islamic Conference, also echoed with the growing criticism of the offensive cartoons. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, too, was among those who strongly condemned the move, labeling it “offensively anti-Islamic” and urged for tranquility. “There is no justification for hate speech or incitement to violence,” the senior diplomat had said then in a statement . Muslims throughout the world, voiced their rage and anger against those heinous acts, through mass demonstrations and meetings to spread awareness over the western countries’ schemes designed to disgrace the faith of over a billion Muslims worldwidz .While we regret for not being able to show the entire art work, as it might be objectionable to some Muslim groups (depicting the physical profile) of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), however we have presented below a review/analysis authored by Mr. Omid Khazani , regarding a recent art work produced by the talented Iranian miniaturist, Mr. Reza Asle Najafi Fard, on the subject cited above :
In response to the publication of the sacrilegious cartoons insulting the Prophet (PBUH) of Islam in western media, which caused turmoil in the Muslim world from September 2005 to early 2008, an Iranian miniature artist has unveiled the largest Prophet-themed miniature painting, which is also the largest miniature work of art ever created . Titled "Ascension of Prophet (PBUH)", which is unique in size and colors, the unrivaled miniature work of the Iranian artist Reza Asle Najafi Fard illustrates one of the most famous events in the history of Islam, known as Meraaj or the Night of Ascension of the Holy Prophet of Islam to the Heavens . "A colossal endeavor was devoted to survey and studies on the Ascension of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) based on the existing documents. The preliminary work was prepared in an outline of a 4×3 meter framework. The painting was started in a 100×70 cm outline. And finally having been technically surveyed in its general composition, comparing the peripheral illumination as well as its basic platform as central circles and with due concerns about the space, the work was begun on a size of 2×3 m. It took two years of strenuous non-stop endeavor to accomplish the job," Reza Asle-Najafi, who hails from western province of Zanjan , said . Reza Asle Najafi, a student of the world acclaimed Iranian Miniature Artist, Master Farshchiyan, added that this sort of work was regarded as the greatest and largest one ever done about the “Ascension” in the whole world .
"I heard the sound of Gabriel's wings. I went out and I saw the archangels: Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael with Buraq (a special heavenly winged horse).
"O Prophet get ready for a mysterious journey tonight, we have come on God's order to take you to Lord’s ceremony on Buraq ". The masterpiece is painted on the basis of a deep and profound belief in the “Night of Ascension”, and reviving the memory of artists who have faded away in the divinity parade, a part of which now has been pictured in the masterpiece . In this masterpiece of Prophet Mohammad's (PBUH) Ascension, all of the creatures and objects have two dimensions – appearance (the exterior dimension) and spirit (the interior dimension).
The appearance is recognizable at the first glance. Man, animal and plant, all are manifested in their natural and real appearances, while their exterior and instinctive features and statuses are shown exactly in the way which is apparent in the real physical world . “But after the initial look, when we observe their justifiability roles and performances pertaining to the general content of the picture , we can clearly notice that there exists a profound and absolute relationship between them in a manner that the observer is reminded of the unique law of formation ”.
At the first glance, the interstice dimension of the picture is not recognized. The ratio of forming components in this painting has been established regarding the aesthetic proportions which were known as “Sharifeh proportions” before, are the basis of aesthetic in all of the Iranian Islamic arts, such as music, poems, calligraphy, architecture, handicrafts and Iranian miniature paintings . Paying a little careful attention to such an artistic painting, one can notice that the ration between the objects and components are not natural ratios. Each component has been placed in an area from where the relative features and areas in comparison to other components will request our knowledge of that part. No part has been strung too close with another to affect the rest .
One of the distinctive features in this masterpiece is a lot of motion and energy in the static objects. The state of movement and at the same time being still, makes the observer to explore the painting’s spiral movement and at the same time it (the painting) itself scrutinizes the viewer. This aspect is a result of the use of circles as the fundamental base of the picture and the most significant circles are presented in symbols as the Gabriel faces Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), Raphael next to him at a lower level and finally Michael with open wings behind ‘Buraq’ in the form of a circle around the intensive point of the circle's center that is Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) on Buraq . Therefore, the spectator at first glance will see the center point (Prophet Muhammad) on Buraq and then the conceptual composition as the colors guide him to Gabriel and then to the rest of the artwork . Another characteristic of this masterpiece lies in the color parade. According to Iranian tradition, using numerous colors is a sign of dishonesty, except when the colors are formed and led into a unique original form and their composition implies unity. This unity of colors is referred to the ‘colorless world’, since the highest dignity of colors converge into light in the end . The use of bright colors in this masterpiece, with their defined ratios, are composed without being influenced by the dominant color of environment or by the harmony of colors. Any master work with such collection of colors will be a treasure mine . The memory of the pure departed soul of the well-known Master Mirza Agha Emami inspired the initial work of the painting . Following Danish newspapers' publication of blasphemous cartoons, many artists devoted themselves to create Prophet-themed works of art to fight off the West’s demonizing Islam campaign under the guise of defending "freedom of speech ". The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after twelve editorial cartoons, most of which insulted Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005 . The newspaper announced that this publication was an attempt to contribute to the debate regarding criticism of Islam and self-censorship.