Aya Mourad is a Lebanese artist based in Sydney, Australia. Her fascination with Islamic art was first kindled during her trip to Iran in 2014 and her subsequent travels to Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Spain exploring and indulging in the grandeur of Islamic patterns. Beyond her enchantment with the aesthetics of Islamic art, a keen intrigue in the mechanics behind the patterns was prompted and before she knew it, she was on a journey of joyful creation and ongoing exploration and learning. She works primarily with watercolors, recreating the traditional patterns that adorn the walls and ceilings of the historical mosques and palaces of West Asia. The underlying geometry beneath each pattern is deduced through a form of reverse-engineering, which then informs the recreation of the pattern. This is a therapeutic and fun process through which she channels her fascination, delight, and simple love for Islamic art. Team Salaamy: What made you choose Islamic art as an art form? Tell us something about your journey. Aya Mourad: I was initially drawn to Islamic art for its aesthetic beauty — it has such a mesmerizing and attractive nature. This quickly grew into a fascination and journey of learning, where I developed a deep appreciation for its significance and value from an artistic, spiritual, scientific, and historical perspective. I was first exposed to Islamic art during a trip to Iran in 2014 when I bought my first book in an attempt to learn how to draw Islamic geometric patterns. I later discovered invaluable online resources and teachers, such as Samira Mian and Mohammed Aljanabi, through whom I learned further and continued to practice. I began to analyze patterns on my own and continued to make artworks based on photographs of patterns I’d taken during my travels. I have so many plans for future work and can’t wait to create and showcase them. For full interview visit blog at salaamy.com #muslimartist #islamiccalligraphy #arabiccalligraphy #art #islamicpatterns #islamicartwork #artrevolution #artmovement #salaamy #islamicart #artistofinstagram #ayamourad #lebanon🇱🇧 #lebanese (at United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/CC6K6IylEgN/?igshid=y0a7u1dweejp