I was raised by parents who are converts to Islam and Afro-Caribbean immigrants to the United States. In the immediacy of our home, family, mosque and neighborhood we were normal. It was only when I peaked out into the larger context of New York City or the media that I realized we were different. DominantContinue reading “The Archive Tells a Different Story: Why I Create and Use Archives in My Artwork”
Author Archives: nsengaknight
The Timbuktu African Manuscripts, Omar Said and Ibrahim Sori: An Islamic, Black Muslim and Black American Intellectual Continuum
I share why the Timbuktu manuscripts and the writings of African Muslims who were enslaved in America – like Omar Said and Ibrahim Sori are important to my artistic practice, and why they are an important opportunity for all of us to learn more about ourselves (especially Black people and Muslims) from those who came before us.
Omar Said: Artwork Inspired by writings of African Muslims Enslaved in Antebellum America
I don’t know about you, but when I was growing up all of my school teachers told us that Africans couldn’t read or write! They weren’t just talking about slaves either. These teachers, both Black and White said that Africans had an oral tradition so writing was just not their thing. Well, that’s a lie!
A Deeper Connection to Cairo
When I first moved to Cairo, I admittedly felt a little lost. I didn’t understand the language, I felt like I looked so different from most the people who I passed by from day to day, and I had a hard time wrapping my mind around how I might continue to grow as an artistContinue reading “A Deeper Connection to Cairo”
Nsenga Knight‘s As the Veil Turns Photography Series About Black Muslim Women Prior to 1975 Now Available at Saatchi Art
Both signed Original – Limited Edition prints and Open Edition Fine Art prints of my As the Veil Turnsphotography series are newly available to purchase at Saatchi Art. Below is detailed information about the As the Veil Turnsphotography series and the types of prints that are available to purchase. About As the Veil Turns AsContinue reading “Nsenga Knight‘s As the Veil Turns Photography Series About Black Muslim Women Prior to 1975 Now Available at Saatchi Art”
Hajj Inspired Art Pt4: Abandonment
“Hajj is the combination of Tawaf and Sa’y. It resolves the contradictions that have confused mankind throughout history” -Ali Shariati When we celebrate and think about the Eid, and why we are celebrating, and the Hajj and what it is, I’m always going to bring up Hajjar, inshaAllah. Alot of people avoid talking about her story because itContinue reading “Hajj Inspired Art Pt4: Abandonment”
Hajj Inspired Art Pt3: Changing Colors on Arafat
“Sunlight looks slightly different on this wall than it does on that wall, and a lot different on this other one but it is still one light.”-Rumi Today is the the day of Arafat, which is the day most associated with atonement on the hajj. People sit on the mount Arafat reflecting, reciting Quran, andContinue reading “Hajj Inspired Art Pt3: Changing Colors on Arafat”
Hajj Inspired Art Pt2: She Ran!
We Run because Hajjar Ran. Even though you and I are not physically on hajj right now, we can still connect to the spirit of the the hajj. Indeed, the hajj is both a physical and a spiritual experience. My Tawaf/ Sa’y series is inspired by the pilgrimage footsteps of exemplars – Malcolm X, Ali Shariati, and of courseContinue reading “Hajj Inspired Art Pt2: She Ran!”
Hajj Inspired Art Pt1: Hajjar’s True Independence
“Hajj is the combination of Tawaf and Sa’y. It resolves the contradictions that have confused mankind throughout history” -Ali Shariati If you are reading this blog, you probably are not on hajj right now. You might be getting ready to see the 4th of July “Independence Day” fireworks (like I am) and feeling disconnected from the hajjContinue reading “Hajj Inspired Art Pt1: Hajjar’s True Independence”