Modern Mystic

Invoking the Islamic tradition of poetry as visual expression, this collection combines traditional calligraphy and images from Sufi poetry.

This series of paintings, steeped in references to Mughal miniature paintings and Sufic verse, brings together aspects of Hussain’s own cultural heritage — and although the strands are diverse, the appropriated imagery converges into a harmonious abstract fabric. The use of color and materials, while in keeping with Eastern tradition, has resonance with abstraction in twentieth century American and European art. The direction of this series embraces Hussain’s handling of subject and material with a surprising and direct use of graphic composition.