The history of Karbala

The Artist: Sister Jennah, has been creating 'art' from her at-home studio for

the past ten years.  A passionate artist who has always expressed herself through her art and who has always tried to get a message out through each image has now found herself expressing her passion for Islam.

A reverted Muslim, Jennah has studied Islamic arts and art history for many years. “I am always astounded by the amazing attention to detail found in the calligraphy and geometric art of Islam. A steady hand and precise measurements is what brings these pieces of art to the peek of perfection. Even though I’m looking at fine lines and exact measurements I am caught by the beauty of Islam and the passion behind every stroke.”

Jennah spends much of her time in Islamic study and some of that study involves the arts. When researching the battle of Karbala she was surprised to find very little contemporary art depicting the battle.

“When studying the battle of Karbala I was intrigued by the art that seemed to always accompany it. Although it was very illustrative and capable of moving me in that I am now aware more fully of the tragedies of this event, I was surprised to find I would continue coming across the same art. I wasn’t finding anything of this battle expressed by artists of our era.”

This realization prompted Jennah to begin a series of art depicting this battle. Sister Jennah began two different series of work. The first a series of images that would express specific points of the battle with chalk renderings.  Each piece having it’s own agenda but falling within the series neatly. Powerful and moving pieces that bring the event to the viewer with a more contemporary feel.

The second series of work would be more impacting and more abstract in nature. This series will be capturing the essence of Karbala through ten large abstract panels of art that hope to bring the viewer closer to the battle by evoking feelings of empathy for the victims. The stature alone symbolizes the massive impact that this event has on Islamic history.

“You do not need exact images to get a feel for what has happened in an event. My goal is, with this series, for you to walk in the room and immediately feel the change in atmosphere. You’re looking at the skewed/blurred images as if in a whirlwind, dizzy from lack of water and food. You see colours, movement, a dreamlike state flashes before your eyes. The victims must have felt much like that? A flurry of violent activity flashing before their eyes, drained and exhausted they catch glimpses of the massacre that lies before them. Just thinking about it brings me to an incredible sorrow. Creating art to capture Karbala is a moving experience and so much so that I am hopeful you will feel this through the images I create.”

Jennah has created this series of art for the purpose of propagation and so the original pieces are not for sale but instead are set to tour at various venues during each year’s Ashura awareness events. Signed Prints are available for $100 (postage and handling separate) half the funds going to the Revert Muslims Assoc, and divided into areas some of which will go towards the beginning funds for orphaned children of Islamic states, the rest to help the artist fund the cost of her materials and printing.