Fractured Cosmos

2017-2021

Fractured Cosmos is an investigation of cosmic interconnectedness, through an exploration of sacred geometries in the Islamic geometric patterns and the recurring patterns in the human body, the natural world, and cosmos. In Fractured Cosmos series, forms that recur throughout nature—from neurons in the brain, to the web-like system of filaments connecting galaxy clusters—are combined with Islamic geometric patterns to expose the inherent unity that underlies existence. Melding biomorphic pattern from the natural world with geometric abstractions of Islamic art, extracting the basic building blocks of pattern from natural world and cosmos. This juxtaposition illuminates the universal oneness that underlies our existence.

Bikaner House, Delhi Contemporary Art Week
Delhi, India

Aicon Gallery (digital format)
New York, NY

1 x 1 Gallery
Dubai, UAE

Koel Gallery
Karachi, Pakistan

Rohtas 2 Gallery
Lahore, Pakistan

School of Visual Arts
New York, NY

Fractured Cosmos II, 5’ x 3’

The large Fractured Cosmos drawings represent my first investigation of cosmic interconnectedness through the arboreal forms I found in the forest. Forms that recur throughout nature are combined with Islamic geometric patterns in these drawings to expose the inherent unity that underlies existence. It studies the patterns that form the building blocks of the natural world—from the human body to the cosmos. I was inspired by the theory of the “cosmic web,” a theoretical model positing that the universe is structured like a vast web and the concept that the universe resembles an immeasurable brain with fractal patterns as the blueprint of all creation. When visualized, this web parallels our the neural network in the brain. Patterns in nature correspond to different geometric shapes; their principles of construction are the same in which the Islamic patterns are created, leading to the theory of Sacred Geometry that exposes our oneness. My pen and ink drawings are inspired by nature in its constantly changing state. Arboreal remnants are scarcely distinguishable from the dendrite networks they morph into, serving as a metaphor for the underlying omniety that links us. Using fractured tree parts, rocks, agates, and dendrite networks layered with Islamic geometric patterns, Fractured Cosmos reorganizes similar and disparate elements to create new systems. Just as nature is malleable, constantly changing and adapting, it combines fragments to create new structures that represent new realities.

© 2024 Sarah Ahmad. No content on this site may be used without permission. All Rights Reserved.