Ask Why
Ronni Komarow, USA
| Ask Why; Ronni
Komarow, Boston, USA, 2013 As a young woman some twenty years ago, I took a long, meandering journey through Turkey and the Middle East. I fell in love and spent several months in Istanbul. During that time, I was introduced to a bookshop in the book sellers' market in Istanbul, a small, musty shop belonging to a local order of Sufis. The order was one where artists were particularly welcome; art is considered a form of prayer. I spent many hours in this bookshop over the course of several months, getting to know members of this Sufi group, drinking lots of tea and trying my hand at traditional miniature painting under the guidance of a Sufi artist. I became friends with several members of this Sufi order, often attending religious ceremonies and in doing so learning a bit about Islam. It was a rich and mystical experience, deeply spiritual, and one that I have continued to cherish in the many years since. In approaching the Al-Mutanabbi Street Book Artists Project, I began with this personal story. Even now, I find it hard to reconcile my own experiences of warmth and kindness in an Islamic culture, the wonder of hours spent deeply at peace in a booksellers market, with such a seemingly senseless act of violence. My artist's book, "ask why," uses by personal experience as a springboard and speaks to this inexplicable chasm. First in edition of three, 6 1/2" (w) x 9 1/2" (h) x 2" (d), altered book with mixed media |