Lot 88: Reem Al-Faisal (Saudi Arabian, b. 1968)

Reem Al-Faisal (Saudi Arabian, b. 1968)
Fruit of Islam (Cadets Training in Chicago)
silver gelatin print
23½ x 23½in. (60 x 60cm.)
Executed in 2000

Exh. Cat., Edge Of Arabia, Contemporary Art from Saudi Arabia, Offscreen (ed.), London, 2008 (illustrated pp. 102 & 103).

This lot offered for sale is subject to a 5% import duty on the importation value levied at the time of collection/shipment within the UAE.
'I like to define myself as a Muslim artist, sprung from my native Saudi culture and history. In my art I am seeking to show signs of the Divine in nature and in Man. For me, light is one of the many manifestations of God. Which He casts in our path through life to remind us of His constant presence in ourselves and in every place. Every photograph is a pattern of light and shade. For me, my photography is a way to praise God's glory in the universe.'
(Reem Al-Faisal)

Reem Al-Faisal travels around the world documenting the various Muslim communities. Two of these series focus on Muslims within the United States, of these, one specifically focuses on the lives and rituals of Muslims from the Nation of Islam, a home-grown African-American group of Muslims, which through Islam has pioneered advances in civil rights and social improvement. The characteristic appearance of members of the Nation of Islam, with their sharp suits and smart presentation, is an external expression of their amelieration.