i-Islam

‘i-Islam’ project presents a self-documentation of my conversion to Islam. From the initial fumbling to the surge of freedom and ease found within the faith - self portraits, screenshots and personal notes - illustrate every steps of my spiritual quest. The journey simply started from the need to better understand the culture and the people I had lived among from Tunisia to India and finally Bahrain. What followed then was a personal awakening; an ethical awareness I felt eager to share in these times of increasing mutual misunderstanding and misperception and a period of misleading interpretations and lack of Islamic knowledge within the Muslim community itself. ‘i-Islam’ reflects the Islam I first witnessed and then experienced and studied. I was drawn to the guidance of believers who taught me the most by their exemplary behavior. They led me initially to verses of the Quran which call for distinguishing oneself by adhering to a keen sense of moral honesty. Armed with the notes I took away from those encounters, I was able to safely navigate alone through the Islamic applications installed on my i-Phone, learning about Islam and how to pray at my own rhythm. Over a succession of weeks the self-documentation process created a space where photography became a ritual and the ritual an art. What follows is a dialogue between body and soul. I grow into the delicate fabric of the prayer garment and its ritual symbolism. Wearing it, I feel the paradoxical sensation of a flying butterfly in a warm cocoon. It is a simple garment but when I went to buy it, I felt like a bride choosing her dress. Prayer is an act unlike any other, and so should its trappings be.