Content
- Concept
- Section 1: Background; Introduction of Islamic art in Africa.
- Section 2: Islamic Teachings on Art and Aesthetics; reference from Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) Hadith.
- Section 3: African Artists influenced by Islamic art styles. (Case study: Ibrahim El-Salahi, Ahmed Mohammed Shibrain, Yelimane Fall, Rachid Koraïchi, Ali Omar Ermes, Amir I. M. Nour)
- Conclusion
- List of images and bibliography
Research Concept
This visual research aims to go beyond the simple idea that Islam bans certain types of images. Instead, it looks at how Islamic theology, philosophy, and visual culture have deeply influenced the style and ideas behind contemporary African art. The main idea is that Islam’s impact goes much further than decoration it forms a key aesthetic and intellectual framework for many African artists. The study outlines the religious rules about art in Islam. Unlike the common belief that Islam forbids all images, it explains the more detailed guidance based on tawhid (the oneness of God) and the resulting prohibition of shirk (idolatry). Historically, this has meant avoiding realistic images of prophets and divine figures in religious settings, but it has also put non-figurative art forms in the spotlight. Traditions like calligraphy, geometry, and arabesque (vegetal and floral patterns) are seen not just as decoration, but as complex visual methods to reflect on infinity, order in creation, and the divine word. In architecture, attention will be given to ideas about light, spatial order, and direction (qibla), which turn buildings into spaces for meditation.
The research tracks how these ideas spread into Africa, focusing on trade routes across the Sahara, networks along the Swahili coast, and Islamic learning centers like Timbuktu. This background helps explain the rise of a unique Afro-Islamic style, where Islamic design mixed with local African symbols, materials, and artistic goals. The core of the project explores contemporary African artists who engage with this heritage, showing that Islam’s influence is alive and evolving. In the end, the research argues that for these artists, Islamic aesthetics offer important tools to explore questions of postcolonial identity, globalization, and politics. Calligraphy serves to reclaim language and culture; geometry provides a universal way to talk about order and chaos; and the values behind Islamic art like humility before God and respect for craftsmanship challenge Western ideas of art as purely personal expression. By looking closely at material, technique, symbolism, and space, the study shows how contemporary African artists are not just keeping tradition alive, but actively reworking Islamic art principles to create a unique and globally meaningful contemporary art. The research finishes with a visual essay that puts historical Islamic art side by side with modern works, showing a continuous thread where faith shapes form and where spiritual meaning and artistic style are deeply connected.
The research started from noticing that many contemporary African artists often use calligraphy, geometric shapes, and architectural features linked to Islamic visual culture. However, curators and scholars usually treat these elements as just decoration or symbols of spirituality, without looking into the deeper theological and historical meanings behind them. This leads to the main question: how do these artists work with Islamic aesthetics like calligraphy, geometry, spatial layout, and ideas about materials to shape identities, express spiritual stories, and raise critical viewpoints in the setting of postcolonial and global contemporary art? The idea is that these artists aren’t simply repeating traditions. Instead, they rethink and use Islamic aesthetics as a flexible language to express Afro-Islamic identity, push back against Western-dominated art histories, and engage with current issues such as migration, political struggles, and environmental concerns. In doing so, they turn old Islamic principles into new ways of creative and intellectual resistance.
Section 1: Background: Introduction of Islamic art in Africa
«Great Mosque of Kairouan (also spelled Qayrawan) prayer hall façade», Anne Walker, CC BY-SA 2.0) 2026 Smarthistory.
The coming of Islamic art in Africa was not a single solid event, it spread gradually along with Islam starting in the 7th century CE. After the Hijra to Medina, Muslim armies and traders moved west from the Arabian Peninsula, first taking over Egypt, then spreading across North Africa. This early expansion introduced key features of Islamic art: avoiding figural images in religious settings, focusing on calligraphy to honor the divine word, and creating geometric and plant-based arabesque designs. The earliest forms of Islamic art in Africa appeared in architecture, like the great mosques of Kairouan in Tunisia (founded in 670 CE) and the Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo (9th century).
Rendering of the Great Mosque of Kairouan, Tunisia. From left to right: zoom on the south wall global view of the mosque, zoom on the minaret seen from the court, 2026 Smarthistory.
«Interior and exterior view of the dome above the mihrab, Great Mosque of Kairouan.» Issam Barhoumi, 2026.
The Aghlabid emperor erected a dome over the central arches and gateway and decorated the courtyard entry to the prayer area in the late ninth century. The location of the mihrab, or prayer niche, on the same central axis and beneath a cupola to denote its significance, is highlighted by the dome. It was clearly articulated that this dome is an architectural feature borrowed from Byzantine and Roman architecture. The otherwise dark interior was illuminated by the tiny windows in the dome’s drum above the mihrab area. The mihrab, the mosque’s most important feature, is surrounded by rays. The drum is supported by squinches, which are tiny arches with shell over rosette patterns resembling those found in Umayyad Islamic, Byzantine, and Roman art. According to architectural historian K. A. C. Creswell, the stone dome resembles a sliced cantaloupe because it is made up of twenty-four ribs, each of which has a little corbel at its base.
«lustre tiles that surround the mihrab», Richard Mortel .“Mihrab, interior view of the dome, Great Mosque of Kairouan Tunisia», Citizen59, 2026.
Openwork marble panels with geometric vine and floral patterns adorn the lower part of the mihrab. The panels are from the Syrian region, even though the too ornate mihrab is distinctive. Iraqi luster tiles surround the mihrab. They also have stylized flower designs similar to those found in eastern Islamic and Byzantine art.
«Minaret, Great Mosque of Kairouan», Ross Burns/Manar al-Athar, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
The enormous square Kairouan minaret is one of the highest buildings in the area, rising to a height of around 32 meters, or more than 100 feet, and may have been inspired by Roman lighthouses. Thus, the minaret not only serves as a site to call for prayer but also serves to define the city’s religious identity by identifying the mosque’s presence and location. It also confirmed the significance of the mihrab because it was positioned slightly off the axis.
The ibn tulun mosque in Cairo (9th century). 2026, SeoEra.
These buildings (Ibn tulun mosque and Great Mosque of Kairouan) served as models for sacred spaces across Africa. They brought in features like the hypostyle prayer hall, the mihrab (prayer niche), and the minaret. Their decoration carved stucco, glazed tiles, and detailed wood panels set a new visual style that would blend with local customs over time.
Great Mosque of Djenné, Mali, 1907», Martha de Jong-Lantink, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
From North Africa, Islamic art and culture spread deep into sub-Saharan Africa mainly through two routes: the trans-Saharan trade paths and the maritime networks along the Swahili coast. In West Africa, rulers in Ghana, Mali, and Songhai adopted Islam for trade and learning, and they had artisans build mosques from durable materials like stone and fired brick, but especially sun-dried mud. This led to the unique Sudano-Sahelian style, best seen in the Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali (first built in the 13th century). Its wooden beams sticking out (toron), thick buttressed walls, and many roof pinnacles weren’t just copied from places like Cairo or Córdoba. Instead, they reflected a local reinterpretation that met both spiritual and practical needs. Islamic art here went beyond buildings, influencing calligraphy (such as decorative Qur’ans in Maghrebi script), leatherwork, and brass-casting for royal items, where Arabic writing mixed with traditional figurative designs.
At the same time, a different blend happened along the Indian Ocean coast from Somalia to Mozambique, giving rise to Swahili art and culture. Islam came here mainly from the 10th century, brought by traders from Persia and the Arabian Gulf. This tradition is known for coral stone towns like Kilwa Kisiwani (Tanzania) and Gedi (Kenya), which had finely carved coral stone mihrabs and tombs, private courtyards, and sunken gardens. Swahili Islamic art showed a mix of influences: detailed plasterwork and carved wooden doors with lotus and floral patterns echoed styles from India and the Far East. Chinese porcelain was often embedded in walls and tombs as a sign of wealth and beauty. Although calligraphy remained important, figural images were accepted in secular art, with carved ivory, silks, and pottery showing human and animal forms a clear difference from the stricter aniconism in North Africa.
An 800-year-old pre-Mali Empire Qur’an from the year 1215, illuminated manuscripts were common among the Qu’ran found in Timbuktu.
The spread of Islamic art in Africa was a process of active adaptation, not just reception. While shared elements like geometry, calligraphy, and sacred spaces linked them, it was the unique social, economic, and artistic backgrounds of African societies that shaped Islamic art into something local. From inscribed pottery in the Sahel to the coral stone cities of the Swahili coast and the illuminated manuscripts from Timbuktu, Islamic art became truly African. Instead of wiping out native traditions, it engaged in a long, complex conversation with them, creating hybrid forms that were both Islamic and genuinely African. This early period laid the groundwork for later developments, including the arts of the Sokoto Caliphate and the court culture of Ethiopian Harar, making sure that Africa’s art history would always carry the mark of this important cultural encounter.
Section 2: Islamic Teachings on Art and Aesthetics
Islamic teachings about art and beauty really come from a deep love for beautiful things. But at the same time, there are clear rules about what’s okay to do and what’s not. The main idea comes from a famous Hadith where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, «Allah is beautiful and loves beauty» (Sahih Muslim). This saying tells us that beauty is a part of God, and making or enjoying beautiful things is encouraged. The key is to do it in a way that doesn’t go against the main beliefs. So, in Islam, beauty isn’t just about looking nice; it’s connected to spiritual ideas like balance, order, and remembering God. However, this love for beauty is guided away from trying to copy God’s unique way of creating life. Instead, it’s directed towards art that shows God’s unity and greatness.
Note: This type of artwork is considered haram (NOT ACCEPTED) in Islam.
The clearest guidance from the Prophet is about visual arts like drawing, painting, and sculpting, especially when it comes to showing living things (people and animals). Prophet (PBUH) gave strong warnings against making such images, which is called taswir in Arabic. In a widely known Hadith found in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, he said: «Anyone who makes a picture will be punished by Allah until he puts life into it, and he will never be able to put life in it.» In another story, he said: «Those who draw pictures will be punished on the Day of Judgment; and they will be told: ‘Breathe soul into what you have made’» (Sahih al-Bukhari). These sayings make it clear that creating pictures of living beings that are complete and look like they could be real; meaning they have a face, eyes, or limbs is strictly forbidden (haram). The main reason for this is to protect Tawhid (the idea that God is absolutely one): trying to copy how living things are created is seen as questioning Allah’s unique power as the only Creator of life. Making sculptures, which are three-dimensional figures, is seen as the most serious form of this ban because it most closely imitates God’s creation.
These two Hadith from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) make it very clear how strictly Islam forbids making paintings and sculptures of living things, whether they are people or animals. The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned that anyone who paints such pictures would face punishment in Hell, and on the Day of Judgment, they would be told to bring their creations to life which, of course, no human can do. This really shows how wrong it is to try and copy God’s special power to create life. But there’s a clear exception: it’s perfectly fine to draw things that aren’t alive, like trees, rocks, or other inanimate objects. So, while drawing living things is completely forbidden, it still leaves room for artistic expression, as long as the art doesn’t try to compete with God’s unique power to give life.
Personalized Muslim Hijab Plush Baby Girl Doll, OUOZZZ; 2026.
But even with this general rule, the Hadith mention some exceptions. A well-known story from Aisha (RA), the Prophet’s wife, says that he let young girls play with dolls. She mentioned, «I used to play with dolls when the Prophet (PBUH) was there, and I had friends who played with me» (Sahih al-Bukhari). This exception is usually understood to apply to children’s toys, because they help with learning and play and aren’t meant to be worshipped or to challenge God’s creativity. Also, the ban mainly applies to pictures that are complete and fully detailed.
Animal and human figure without a face, trees, or an animal missing important parts like eyes and nose; 2026.
Experts say that pictures that aren’t finished like a drawing of a body without a face, trees, or an animal missing important parts are usually allowed, since they don’t represent a complete living creature. The Prophet himself reportedly used simple line drawings on the ground to explain moral ideas, such as the straightforward path of Islam, without anyone objecting.
Islamic Calligraphy well depicted in the Holy Quran and at the Holy Kaaba.
While there are limits on art that shows living things, Islamic art really thrived in other forms that don’t represent anything specific, and these were very much encouraged by the spirit of the Sunnah. Calligraphy; the artistic writing of the Quran and the Prophet’s words became the highest form of Islamic art because it makes God’s word beautiful without breaking any rules. Geometric patterns and floral designs called arabesques also became very popular, showing Islam’s focus on unity, endlessness, and order. These types of art fit with the Prophet’s teaching that believers should make their mosques and homes beautiful, and they avoid the religious problems that come with making images. Modern things like photography and digital images are still debated by scholars, but many religious experts today allow them for important uses (like for identification, education, or news) while warning against worshipping them. To sum it up, Islamic teachings on art, as we learn from the Hadith, guide human creativity away from making images of living things and towards abstract, geometric, and calligraphic art that celebrates the beauty and oneness of Allah.
Section 3: African Artists influenced by Islamic art styles. (Case study: Ibrahim El-Salahi, Ahmed Mohammed Shibrain, Yelimane Fall, Rachid Koraïchi, Ali Omar Ermes, Amir I. M. Nour)
Ibrahim El-Salahi
Born in 1930, Ibrahim El-Salahi is a pioneering Sudanese artist and a key player in African Modernism. He is also known for developing a distinctive visual language that combines Islamic and Sudanese customs with Western artistic methods. He became the first African artist to get a complete retrospective at Tate Modern in 2013.
Some of his Artworks: The Mosque (1964), Alphabet No. 2 (1962, reworked 1968), Professor Tree (2007), Vision of the Tomb (1965), Reborn Sounds of Childhood Dreams I (1961–1965), and Alhambra series (2016).
The Mosque (1964), Ibrahim El-Salahi.
Ibrahim El-Salahi has a really distinct visual style, and it comes straight from the Islamic art he grew up with. This influence smoothly mixes with ideas from African and Western modern art, giving him his own special artistic voice. Growing up in a deeply religious Sufi family, his father, who was an Islamic scholar, taught him how to read and write using Arabic calligraphy. This early training laid the groundwork for what would become a key part of his art, connecting the spiritual world with his artistic expression. A main idea in El-Salahi’s art is taking Arabic letters apart and turning them into rhythmic, calligraphic shapes. Take his painting The Mosque (1964), for example. It brings together flat images with geometric patterns and swirling shapes that look like brushstrokes from calligraphy.
Alphabet No. 2 (1962, reworked 1968), Ibrahim El-Salahi.
He did something similar in Alphabet No. 2 (1962, reworked 1968). This piece mixes Arabic calligraphy with African decorations and sculptures. It has faces with open mouths and circles with spokes, all designed to bring to mind the sound of reciting something. It’s like the artwork is meant to be «heard» just as much as it’s meant to be seen.
Professor Tree (2007) and Vision of the Tomb (1965), Ibrahim El-Salahi.
In his drawing Professor Tree (2007), El-Salahi takes hieroglyphic designs he learned from Arabic calligraphy and Islamic carvings and turns them into a tree shape. But his influences go beyond just calligraphy. In Vision of the Tomb (1965), he mixes the rhythm of African patterns with distinct Arab/Islamic images like crescent moons and arabesques. All of this comes together with ancient symbols and shapes of plants and animals.
Reborn Sounds of Childhood Dreams I (1961–1965), and Alhambra series (2016), Ibrahim El-Salahi.
Even his big painting, Reborn Sounds of Childhood Dreams I (1961–1965), while beautifully mixing many different influences, is still grounded in memories and spiritual visions. Later in his career, El-Salahi kept looking into Islamic art styles. For example, in his Alhambra series (2016), he captured the patterns from the famous Moorish architecture of the Alhambra palace, using earthy browns and reds. He was directly pulling from the rich history of Islamic buildings and their decorations. Through all these pieces, El-Salahi’s art clearly shows his deep, lifelong connection to Islamic art. He takes its calligraphic, spiritual, and decorative traditions and turns them into a strong, internationally recognized modernist vision.
Ahmed Mohammed Shibrain
A key player in the School of Khartoum art movement, Ahmed Mohammed Shibrain (1931–2017) was a pioneering Sudanese modernist painter. His contribution to the Hurufiyya movement, which combined Islamic, African, and Western creative traditions, is what made him most famous. He converted traditional Arabic calligraphy into abstract, modern graphical forms.
Famous Artworks: Composition No. 22(1960) and Letters from Khartoum (1970).
Composition No. 22(1960) left and Letters from Khartoum (1970) right, Ahmed Mohammed Shibrain.
Ahmed Mohammed Shibrain (1931–2017), a key figure in Sudanese modernism and the Khartoum School, was very much inspired by Islamic art styles. He skillfully blended these with African and Western art traditions. A big part of this inspiration came from the hurufiyya movement. This group wanted to create a modern visual language by turning Arabic letters into abstract shapes and mixing them with Islamic designs.
You can see this approach clearly in his painting 'Composition No. 22.' Here, Shibrain broke away from traditional calligraphy rules. He used 'densely inter-locked forms' on a rough surface, much like a city wall, to explore the 'primitive and mystical functions of the Arab letter form.' He developed this spiritual practice early on, having gone to Qur’anic schools. It’s very clear in his 'Calligraphic Compositions, ' where Arabic writing becomes decorative patterns. In the tightly framed 'Letters from Khartoum, ' he makes Arabic characters the main focus. A striking untitled watercolor from the early 1960s, which is 'flushed with a deep grey, ' perfectly sums up his method. In that painting, a moon-like shape, a common symbol in Islamic art, floats above and mixes with flowing Arabic writing. This shows Shibrain believed letters were 'living figural elements' that he could shape into something almost like a sculpture, with a sense of rhythm.
Yelimane Fall
Renowned Senegalese artist and community activist Yelimane Fall (1953–2019) is known for creating a distinctive «African Calligraphy» style. His writings are intricately linked to the philosophy and poetry of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba, the founder of the Muridiyya Sufi Brotherhood.
Some of his Artworks: The Faith (2010), Symphony of Sīn (س) 2005, Jawartu (2003) and Lamp Fall (2008)right.
The Faith (2010)left, and Symphony of Sīn (س) 2005, right, Yelimane Fall.
The art of Senegalese artist Yelimane Fall is really shaped by the deep impact of Islamic art, especially what you see in West African Sufi traditions. Fall, who was a strong believer in the Muridiyya Sufi order, viewed his art as a kind of khidma, or spiritual service. His lively, graphic paintings are a clear picture of the healing and protective power that comes from his faith. His art takes the rules of Arabic calligraphy and turns the holy writing into something vibrant and full of energy that gives off spiritual blessings, or baraka.
You can see this in pieces like Faith from 2010, where the word «Allah» stands out in bright red a color that means faith against a blue that symbolizes the vastness of the sky and white for purity. The background has all 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet arranged into a khatem, which is a mystical seal used in Islamic healing, connecting directly to numerology, a part of Islamic mysticism. This idea that written words have power also comes through in his works like Symphony of Haa from 2005 and Symphony of Sīn (س) from his Lawh series, also from 2005. In these, Arabic letters are carved into a piece of wood that looks just like the traditional wooden writing tablet, or lawh, used in West African Qur’anic schools, directly referencing the sacred act of learning God’s word.
Jawartu (2003) left and Lamp Fall (2008)right, Yelimane Fall.
Fall takes this even further by painting on recycled paper, where he includes images of his spiritual guide, Shaykh Ahmadou Bamba, right into the calligraphic design. An example is his 2003 painting Jawartu, which really brings Bamba’s protective poem to life. Even when he’s painting something recognizable, like in Lamp Fall from 2008, his devotion shows up in how he portrays the tallest minaret in Africa the one at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Touba, making the architecture of Islamic faith a main focus. In the end, Fall’s works are more than just pretty things to look at; they’re meant to work like Bamba’s poems: to bless, protect, and heal anyone who sees them, reflecting the very core purpose of the Sufi faith itself.
Rachid Koraïchi
Born in 1947, Rachid Koraïchi is a well-known modern Algerian artist whose multimodal work has its roots in the sacred force of signs and Sufi mysticism. He works in prints, ceramics, sculpture, and large-scale installations. His «alphabet of memory» is a personal vocabulary of calligraphic scripts, symbols, and glyphs. He is based in both Paris and Tunisia.
Famous Artworks: Series «The Seven Heavenly Stations (2017)», The Invisible Masters (2008).
Rachid Koraïchi’ series «The Seven Heavenly Stations, 2017».
Algerian artist Rachid Koraïchi’s art is deeply connected to Islamic spiritual traditions. His whole artistic practice explores Sufi mysticism, sacred calligraphy, and the things that make up Islamic culture today. Koraïchi grew up in a Sufi family of Qur’anic scholars and copyists, so he learned calligraphy from a young age. This made him see writing as something sacred and full of meaning. This strong respect for writing is key to the Hurufiyya movement. This movement reinterprets the 14th and 15th-century Hurufi idea that Arabic letters hold divine and mystical knowledge, using it as a basic part of modern visual art.
One important way Koraïchi shows these deep Islamic ideas is by turning Arabic calligraphy into an abstract, protective visual language. His series called Les Sept Stations Célestes (The Seven Heavenly Stations, 2017) features pairs of alabaster tablets. These tablets place traditional Arabic calligraphy next to his own made-up symbols. These tablets mix symbols from many old writing systems to create a «memory alphabet.» This reflects the Islamic idea that the Qur’an has endless, hidden meanings beneath its surface. The stone itself directly refers to the 'Alabaster Mosque' in Cairo, tying the art to the grandness of Islamic monumental architecture.
Rachid Koraichi: The Invisible Masters, 2008, V&A images
Similarly, his award-winning artwork Les Maitres invisibles (The Invisible Masters, 2008), which won the 2011 Jameel Prize, is made of 99 embroidered cloth banners. These banners use Arabic calligraphy and symbols to honor 14 great Sufi mystics like Rumi. He uses the traditional craft of khayamiya tents to physically and spiritually link his work to Islamic artistic heritage.
Ali Omar Ermes
Ali Omar Ermes (1945–2021) was a British-Libyan artist, writer, and activist who gained international recognition for his innovative use of Arabic calligraphy and letterforms in modern art. Over the course of a career spanning more than 60 years, he rose to prominence as one of the most collected Muslim artists, with pieces on exhibit at esteemed establishments such as the Smithsonian Institution, Tate Britain, and the British Museum.
A few of his Artworks: Kaf: The Power of Expression (1991), Iqra — Read! (1991), Contradictions of Joy (1993).
Ali Omar Ermes, Kaf: The Power of Expression (1991) and Iqra — Read! (1991).
Ali Omar Ermes’s art is really connected to the old holy writing styles of the Islamic world. He got to know this world directly when he went to Qur’anic schools in Libya and later as an advisor for the World of Islam Festival in 1976. He turns Arabic letters, which people see as holy, like the basic parts of the Qur’an, into a strong, modern visual style. He does this using a special, almost ritualistic way, much like the old Islamic writers did. A main part of how he works is using the hurufiyya style. This style mixes the careful rules of calligraphy with the free nature of modern abstract art. You can see this clearly in his paintings that feature just one letter, like Kaf: The Power of Expression (1991) and Iqra — Read! (1991). In these pieces, a huge letter in the middle takes up most of the painting. He paints it with one smooth stroke, which updates the look of calligraphy but still brings to mind the spiritual blessings (baraka) people feel from written words.
Ermes also connects his work to Islamic tradition even more by carefully choosing old writing styles. For Kaf: The Power of Expression, he picked the Maghribi script, connecting his art to the calligraphy styles from where he grew up in North Africa and also Islamic Spain. For other works, like Harf Al Meem, he uses the Thuluth script from Ottoman Turkey.
Ali Omar Ermes, Contradictions of Joy (1993).
You can also see his respect for old calligraphy in Contradictions of Joy (1993). In this piece, a big, abstract shape in the middle is surrounded by many smaller, tightly packed scripts. This setup shows the push and pull he feels between happiness and sadness. Ermes’s Islamic influences aren’t just about the way things look; they’re also about what they mean. His paintings often hold a lot of old Arabic literature and Sufi poems, almost like visual collections.
Amir I. M. Nour
Amir I. M. Nour (1936–2021) was a well-known Sudanese-American scholar and sculptor whose work is praised for bridging the gap between African/Islamic visual culture and Western minimalism. He was born in Shendi, Sudan, but lived and worked most of his life in Chicago, where he taught fine arts for more than 30 years at Harry S. Truman College.
Some of his famous Artworks: One and One (1976) and Serpent (1970).
Amir I. M. Nour, One and One (1976) and Serpent (1970).
Amir I. M. Nour, a Sudanese-American artist, created a distinctive sculptural language that married Western minimalism with the visual vocabulary of his Afro-Islamic heritage. Raised in Sudan he was greatly influenced by Islamic formal art and Nubian culture, elements which consistently appear in his art through the use of abstract geometric forms derived from those traditions but mediated through an unmistakably minimalist sensibility. Nour’s form is serene and philosophical, offering a sense of structural purity that evokes the poetic grace of both Arabic calligraphy and minimalist sculpture, setting him apart as a true nexus of these two forms. The impact of Islamic formal art on Nour’s sculptural work is particularly apparent in his use of geometric and hemispherical forms. His childhood home of Northern Sudan, whose skyline is dominated by mosque domes, provided him with the raw visual material which informs his work. In One and One (1976) he transformed the mundane object of a jabannah, a Sudanese water or coffee container, into two interlocking forms made of bronze with a balanced and harmonious relationship between them, this work clearly showing the Islamic aesthetic of transforming a practical form into fine art through abstract geometry. The rhythmic repetition of forms in Serpent (1970) of thirty-four quarter circles of steel tubing forms a flowing serpentine shape which can be related to the repeated geometric patterns common in Islamic design.
Conclusion
In synopsis, this research has illustrated the ways in which Islamic religion has played a major and influential role in the art of modern Africa. This is not merely a discussion on visual imitation, but one based on the spirituality, the ethics and intellect involved. Not only did the introduction of Islam to Africa through trade, scholarly visits and through Sufi fraternities have an impact on the African visual culture by introducing the rich tradition of calligraphy and geometry which has then been absorbed and reinterpreted by African artists, but the religious guidance of Islam also established principles. From what it is shown through the religious doctrines of Islam with regards to art (The Hahith of the Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] has pointed towards not making effigies, and encouraged the beauty of divine creation, and the noble craft of writing) the art itself has not been forbidden, but had become to focus on abstractions, patterns and respect to the sacred. African artists working within Islamic beliefs has then created great spiritual, unique works of art that has been inspired from their religion and is proved with the calligraphy abstractions of Sudan’s Ibrahim El-Salahi and Ahmed Mohammed Shibrain, the talismanic work of Rachid Korachi of Algeria, the spiritual paintings of Yelimane Fall from Senegal, the letter inspired paintings of Ali Omar Ermes from Libya and Amir I. M. Nour of Sudan’s abstract shapes. They have shown that Islam does not limit art, but offers a language to talk about identity, remembrance, spirituality, Sufi mysticism and modernity. This research has shown that the religion of Islam has indeed played a significant role and that the tradition is a continuous live dialog where faith opens up innovation and tradition transforms itself.
List of images and bibliography
Al-Shafi’i, M. M. O., Abdullahi, A. & Al-Shafi’i, K. O. O. (2023) 'A Brief Exploration of the Islamizable Yoruba Art and Culture', Innovare Journal of Social Sciences, 11(2), pp. 21-28. (Accessed: 04.23.2026)
Hayes, Hannah (07.06.2021). «Amir Nour, patient sculptor of contemporary African art, dies at 84». Hyde Park Herald. Retrieved 30.03.2024(Accessed: 04.26.2026).
The National (2018) 'Ibrahim El-Salahi: from Khartoum to Oxford, with art and love', 23 April. (Accessed: 04.26.2026).
Kurfi, M. H. (2017) 'Hausa Calligraphic and Decorative Traditions of Northern Nigeria: From the Sacred to the Social', African Arts, 8(1-2), pp. 13-?. (Accessed: 04.29.2026).
Miller, A. (ed.) (2026) Decolonizing Islamic Art in Africa: New Approaches to Muslim Expressive Cultures. Bristol: Intellect Books. (Accessed: 05.01.2026).
https://www.aliomarermes.co.uk/blogs/ali-omar-ermes-art/kaf-the-power-of-expression-1991-30/04/2026.
