【ZM-543】Islam Aly

Area | ZINE’S MATE

Country | EGYPT

Islam is a book artist and lecturer of Design at Helwan University's College of Art Education. His artistic journey began with a Bachelor's degree in Art Education, followed by a Master's from the same university. He was determined to continue his academic journey, and he pursued a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning with a concentration in Art Education, which he earned at the University of Iowa.

https://www.instagram.com/islammaly/

https://www.islamaly.com/

01- Astral Projections2022. Edition of 30 variants + 5 proofs.Book size: 9 x 18 x 1.5 cm (106 cm extended). Cave Paper, cyanotype, and laser cut sewed interior pages cyanotype covers. Accordion binding.’Astral Projections’ explores talismanic shirts, constellations, and the mystical beliefs surrounding them. The book features intricate illustrations of six talismanic shirts, each uniquely crafted using cyanotype prints that showcase a distinctive vocabulary of religious texts, sacred invocations, symbols, magic squares, and seal markings. The use of cyanotype prints adds an ethereal quality to the illustrations, evoking the spiritual significance of these garments.The book covers are cyanotype prints, showcasing a blend of blue hues, constellations, stars, and talismanic shirts. The accordion binding allows the book to open up fully, revealing a panoramic view of the shirts.

02- Illuminations IIEdition of 30 variants, and five proofs.2021. Book Size: 7.5 x 10 x 6 cm. Laser-cut hand-made paper. Twelve sections of 3 folios per section. Handbound in laser engraved wooden boards with Coptic binding of linen thread, and leather wrapping."Illuminations IV’ takes viewers on a journey through the intricate patterns and designs found in illuminated manuscripts. The book features a floral design in which the patterns increase and decrease in size from each side of the book, offering a new perspective and visual experience with every turn of the page and creating a sense of movement that echoes the delicate beauty of the floral patterns themselves. This layout makes sense of direction and depth, drawing the viewer in and inviting them to explore the intricate details of the patterns.

03- Statera, MizanEdition of 30 variants, and five proofs.2020. Closed: 8.8 x 8.8 x 6.8 cm. legal ledger paper from the late 1800s and 1900s, museum board, hand-printed Arabic letters from magnesium plates, laser-engraved wooden boards, book cloth, stiff-leaf binding with leather wrappings connected to laser engraved camel bone pieces.Statera" explores the rhombic dot system behind the Naskh script, from the verb nasakha, 'to copy,' a small, round script commonly used to write administrative documents and transcribe books.In Arabic, this system is called "Mizan Al Horof"; (balance of letters). "Statera" shows each letter's specific structure, which is built of a significant rule: the number of dots. The 28 letters are printed in Thuluth script with vibrant red color, over regular handwritten text by ordinary people. Different styles, signatures, seals, notes, and markings from legal ledger paper contrast with the Thuluth script rules. This contrast reveals an engaging perspective hidden between the balanced letters and aged documents. The fourteen rhombus pieces of camel bone are engraved with a letter on each side, echoing the book's interior.

04- Metamorphoses 42018. Edition of 30. Text Block: 40 sections laser cut mould-made Johannot paper, each section 4 folios, colored and laser engraved fore-edges, laser engraved wooden covers, linen thread, Coptic binding with endbands 9 x 9 x 11.5 cm.Within the "Metamorphoses" series, my primary focus centers on Islamic art and design. I aim to explore the captivating transformation of patterns within the pages of a book. This book is crafted to provide the viewer with a sensory journey, allowing them to intimately encounter the beauty, elegance, harmony, intricacy, and complexity inherent in these patterns.

05- Sacred MeaningsEdition of 402017. 20 sections, Each section 4 folios, laser cutting, laser engraved Plexiglass coversHexagon, 7 x 7 x 7 cm.Sacred Meanings draws inspiration from the hexagon, a fundamental shape in Islamic art's intricate grids and patterns. The book's design, text, and narrative unfold to portray the evolution and dissolution of these patterns. This artistic creation invites readers to contemplate their encounters with the transcendent and the unifying. Within its pages, "Sacred Meanings" explores the profound dichotomies of existence – the interplay between life and decay, doubt and belief, confusion and clarity, and the chaos that ultimately leads to order.