Call to prayer

Title: Call to Prayer

Medium: Acrylic on 61 x 61 cm canvas

Call to Prayer (Adhan) is my devotional tribute to the spiritual rhythm and timeless beauty of the Islamic faith. The Adhan calls us to perform the prayer — one of the five pillars of Islam.

The sandy tones grounding the scene reflect the landscapes of the Middle East where I grew up, the same lands where the first calls to prayer were heard. They serve as a reminder of origin, memory, and the humility of the earth beneath us.

As a huge admirer of Van Gogh, I drew from the movement, energy, and celestial drama of his skies. I interpreted that motion as the spiritual “stirring” we feel when the Adhan begins — that moment of awakening when we rise, pause, and turn towards prayer. The swirling strokes, light, and texture are my attempts at painting sound: the rhythm, the serenity, the call.

Touches of luminous gold and metallics represent divine illumination, symbolising the harmony between the earthly and the sacred.