Farah Behbehani and the Journey of Searching for Divine Light

Kuwaiti artist Farah Behbehani has a special imprint, characterized by embroidery and Kufic calligraphy. She excels in introducing Arabic letters into her works. She weaves them with threads on canvas and weaves them into paper with tapers. The letters infiltrate smoothly and softly to make their way to the heart and conscience of the recipient. Her creativity does not stop at the use of abstract letters, but rather highlights them through poems and words to take additional depths within each work.

Behbehani’s works are currently in Jeddah through the Biennale of Islamic Arts, and through a solo exhibition at the “Athar Gallery” that will run until April 10. In the Biennale, her work, which is located in the “Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah” hall, attracts attention with its high aesthetics. Standing in front of a huge circle of shiny fabric, we get closer to see that it is composed of three circles that alternate in slow perpetual motion, but they scatter soft light as the light reflects on their shimmering threads.

Farah Behbehani in her exhibition “And Make Me a Light” at the “Athar” Gallery in Jeddah (The Gallery)

The artist explains her work, saying, “The work celebrates the concept of light in Islam. Light is one of the most beautiful names. One of the descriptions of the Holy Prophet is also that it is light.” Behbehani has a love for poetry, especially religious and mystical poetry. “Here I chose verses from the poem (Nahj al-Burda) by the poet Ahmed Shawqi that celebrates the concept of light, which are:

The glad tidings of Al-Hadi and his birth in the East and the West spread the path of light in darkness.

In the middle circle, we can see the name “Muhammad” in its middle. Strands of shiny beads and pieces of glass branch off from the name, embodying the guiding light. In the larger circle, verses of poetry are intertwined within geometric shapes, while the third circle, which is the largest, includes some Arabic letters in Kufic script that enumerate some names. The Holy Prophet: The Mustafa, the Truthful, the Trustworthy, the Guide, the Intercessor, the Mutawakkil, the lamp and the enlightener.

The movement of the three circles continues, while we listen to the artist, and I ask her about that perpetual movement, what does it mean? “The movement represents the perpetual motion of the universe,” she says.

Geometric shapes and Kufic font

{And make me a light}

The thread of light and light continues to be the main theme of the artist’s solo exhibition at Athr Gallery, and is embodied in the title “Make Me Nora”, and through the show statement that says: “At the heart of the solo exhibition of the Kuwaiti artist Farah Behbehani, “Make Me Nora”, “there is a nocturnal search for Light and longing for the dawn”, the artist pleads for her to become a bearer of that light, and for that to be embodied in her heart, senses and conscience. Behbehani commented that the works presented represent “a personal journey. I have been working on the concept of light for years, and I see it through a painful personal experience in which I suffered greatly, during which I went through difficult times and many dark moments. I think the effects of this journey that I went through with my family gradually began to creep into my artistic work.”

The artist resorts once again to the Qur’an and poetry in her search for light: “I began researching the different interpretations of light in Islam, and as a cosmic concept, embodied in God Almighty’s saying (God is the light of the heavens and the earth).” And she finds inspiration in Surat Al-Nur.

From Behbehani’s work at the Islamic Arts Biennial in Jeddah

During her speech, she indicates that she always resorts to her “pioneer” (as she calls him) Khaled Al-Sa’i. She discussed with him her idea about work, and he suggested that she read the book of Imam Abi Hamid Al-Ghazali “Mishkat Al-Anwar”: “I began to study the book and found deep and beautiful ideas about light in it.” On the luminous relationship between God and the universe. The ideas of the book take her to see through them the forms of Islamic geometry.

In the exhibition, visitors pass between translucent white textiles, which look ethereal and carry geometric shapes embroidered with silver thread. They are called “the seven curtains.” a clear light)”, each one referring to the interpretation of the light that emanates from the ultimate source of light.

The Seven Curtains in “Make Me Light” by Kuwaiti artist Farah Behbehani (Athar Gallery)

And she points out that her choice fell on the number seven, and it goes back to the book “Mishkat al-Anwar”, where he refers to seven interpretations of light, “The different geometric shapes on each of those curtains I reduced them to seven levels of light, the light as we see it on the ground, and it is a reflection of light the creator”. In one of the hanging pieces titled “Night Prayer,” the artist uses her own handwriting and repeats the invocation “Oh God” over and over again.

Pray for light

On a wall in the exhibition hall there is a wonderful visual display of geometric shapes woven and embroidered with pearl beads, 844 pieces, each piece is independent, beautifully coordinated, and is combined with embroidery with silver and gold threads that carry words from the well-known supplication, “Oh God, make light in my heart and in my tongue.” Light, light on my right, light on my left, light in my sight, light in my hearing, light in my body, and light above me.” She added four things to her: “Make light in my mind, light in my revelation, and light in my soul, and make me light.”

What is striking about Behbehani’s work, in addition to the calm internal energy embodied, is the beautiful handicraft that is embodied in embroidery, inlay, and decoration. I ask her if this is a craft she is good at. She says that she resorts to a group of skilled craftsmen to carry out her work: “I worked with them to embody these sublime meanings through Embroidery, in choosing the degree of transparency, and in choosing pearl beads and diamond crumbs that give a slight shimmer. We only used white because I find it the most pure color, light can pass through it, which is very beautiful in my opinion, to see the light seeping through the fabric and through the transparent beads. Collecting kufic calligraphy and embroidery was a challenge for her, she points out, but also “a beautiful way to express my spiritual and personal journey that I’ve been through.”