E Pluribus Unum Tablet

I was inspired by Sini calligraphy artists in China for this piece. E Pluribus Unum is non-traditional calligraphy on a chemically blackened steel tablet. E Pluribus Unum, “out of many, one,” is the de facto motto of the United States. In Islam, calligraphy stylizes Qur’anic verses, giving concepts power by transforming them from words into instantly recognizable and compelling images. This image is confusing; this stylized Latin alphabet intentionally simulates Arabic aesthetic, before revealing that the nonsense is a meaningful alphabet that you already know. In uniting two often conflicting cultures, I hope to amplify ideals of harmony, reverence, and possibility, reshaping an empty slogan into something we can point to and say, “look.”

Shown at The Fishbowl gallery for the July 2024 show "Unwoven".

This is an ongoing project where I attempt to create images out of American political text using the multifaceted styles and ethos of Islamic calligraphy.