Artist: Janiece Murray
Title: Maryam and Isa (Mary and Jesus)
Medium: Original Handmade and commercial watercolors, shell gold, 23 carat gold leaf, and ink, on paper stained with handmade pinecone ink.
Size: 24x18 inches
Artist Statement:
When I studied Persian Miniature as part of the course requirements in grad school, I thought it was beautiful but really struggled. I declared that I would never attempt another Persian miniature again but last spring while assisting with a class on Persian miniature, I saw an image of Mary and the baby Jesus (or Maryam and Isa as they are known in Islam) from a falnam – a book of omens. Religious figures in Islam are not generally depicted, or are veiled to avoid idol worship, while Jesus is not considered the son of God in Islam, He is still revered as a prophet, so this image was quite unusual. I was touched by this look at Mary and Jesus though the eyes of another religion and culture (though there is still some influence from the Christian world) and wanted to create my own version to share it further. As I went through the traditional processes of staining and preparing the paper, inking the outlines, laying the color, making paint from gold, etc. I tried to turn them into acts of devotion.