I’m thrilled to invite you to participate in a special To Know One Another gathering at the Queens Museum where art meets martial arts. Join me along with Sibok Shahid Najee-ullah, Head Instructor at the SWAM Dojo in Jamaica, Queens, on July 27th at 3 pm for an afternoon of tea, conversation, and cultural enrichment. Sibok Shahid and I will share our insights, exploring the legacy and traditions of SWAM Dojo, founded in 1977 by Sijo Abdul Mutakabbir. This dojo has been a beacon of discipline, respect, and community upliftment, and their philosophies are beautifully intertwined with my artistic expression.
Discover the Intersection of Art and Martial Arts Within My Practice
If you’re passionate about the arts, this event offers an unparalleled opportunity to delve into the intricate connections between visual art and the disciplined practice of martial arts through My recent work, The Clinic. Every word in The Clinic, written phrases on transparent iridescent sheets suspended in the gallery space, was spoken by the inspiring Black martial arts masters as they taught one another fighting techniques that strengthen the mind, body, and spirit with the intent to uplift their collective lives.
I was inspired by my visit to the SWAM Dojo during their martial arts clinic in the summer of 2023 to celebrate SWAM’s 45th anniversary and the city’s co-naming of the street on which they’re located in honor of the Dojo. It was so inspiring and uplifting to spend the weekend at SWAM to honor and celebrate them and their leader Sijo Mutakabbir who is such a visionary. So many members of our community showed up to celebrate this honoring of the dojo and its contribution to the Jamaica, Queens community and the values it upholds. Some folks even travelled from other states and countries to be here in Queens for the occasion! You can read more about this on my blog.
I had previously explored martial arts within the Black Muslim community through my social practice project Muhammed’s School of Language and Martial Arts. This project was highly influenced by the unique approach of the East Coast Muslims community to utilizing the mosques spaces where they were not only spaces for worship, but also for education, physical training and contemplation. For instance, martial arts classes would take place in the mosque when the space wasn’t used for prayer. This has resulted in a strong tradition of martial arts in New York Black Muslim communities that is rich, exciting and unique, creating new martial arts styles and gaining respect from the larger community
MSLMA actually included four months of free martial arts classes offered to the Houston community in collaboration with a Black Muslim-owned dojo in Third Ward. Muhammed’s School of Language and Martial Arts got its name because in many ways that project is looking at and thinking about how a community builds itself up mentally, spiritually, physically, and the ways in which those things complement each other. So as an artist, I’m playing with those connections.
The Clinic
The suspended text of The Clinic appear to be ascending to the heavens. And we can also think of these words as coming from the heavens as well, speaking directly to our spirits as if to heal them, and our community at large.
A martial arts clinic is an event where different martial arts masters gather and teach each other specific techniques. It plays on the word “clinic,” as something that is healing for the community, healing and strengthening for the people who come into that space, for the mind, body, and the spirit.
Martial arts is a fighting as well as art form. Language arts is words, both spoken and written. And so in The Clinic, we’re looking at and thinking about and exploring martial arts as a sort of a healing form, as a strengthening form, as community engagement, but without actually seeing the martial artist. We get to see and contemplate the ethics that discipline the SWAM dojo members, and find ways to bring those ethics -essentially, the spirit of the dojo, into our lives.
I started studying martial arts at a pivotal point in my life when I was a teenager (I got up to a yellow belt!) and now my kids take martial arts as well. It’s always been an important part of my life and identity as a Black Muslim from the East Coast. “The Clinic” highlights the unique approach that Muslims have applied to Martial Arts in my community which has played a critical role in building our confidence and spirit; allowing us to more fully express the strength of our beliefs and lead powerfully. As minorities, both racially and religiously, we could have seen ourselves as victims but instead we developed powerfully as strong believers in mind, body, and spirit; and able to defend and fight for our beliefs if need be. This is something I deeply love and cherish about my community.
Spoken Word, Oral History
Language plays a strong role in my artistic practice inside and outside the studio. Other than The Clinic and Muhammed’s School of Language and Martial Arts, my social practice project As the Veil Turns is a documentation of oral history first and a photography project second. You can learn more about my art projects by visiting their pages on my website and downloading the full project description.
Join Us for a Unique Experience
Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to engage with the arts in a way that feels inclusive and engaging. Join us at the Queens Museum for an afternoon that promises to deepen your artistic appreciation, provide exclusive insights, and foster meaningful connections with like-minded individuals.
I look forward to seeing you there and sharing this enriching experience with you!
About Us:
Nsenga Knight
Brooklyn-born, I am an In Situ Artist Fellow at the Queens Museum. My work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Contemporary Image Collective in Cairo, Egypt, and the Drawing Center in New York. I am a recipient of grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and the Foundation for Contemporary Art. I earned my MFA from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Film from Howard University.
Sibok Shahid Najee-ullah
Sibok Shahid Najee-ullah began his martial arts journey at the age of eight. He trained under Sijo Abdul Mutakabbir at SWAM Dojo and earned his 1st Degree Black Belt in 2001. He now holds the rank of 7th Degree Black Belt and the title of Sibok within the SWAM FuJuKa Boxing System. Najee-ullah is a technical consulting engineer and continues to teach at SWAM, where his two sons are also students.