Sharmina Haq

Sharmina Haq is an experienced visual artist specialising in patterns from the Islamic world, inspired by her travels to the Islamic regions of the world. While travelling to Fez, Morocco in 2014, she was completely captivated by the artisans keeping alive centuries old traditional skills and techniques passed down through generations of master craftsmen. In particular hand crafted ceramic tile work (zillīj) and exquisite plaster carved floral and geometric patterns that adorn every floor, wall and ceiling in this most beautiful of cities since the 14th century.

Her interest in Islamic arts and crafts turned into a passion for deconstructing and drawing these intricate yet methodical designs. It is an art form with order, structure and balance using an iterative process of laying down the unseen grid from which to reveal the seen pattern. As is so often in life; from chaos, calmness surfaces. Coming to this passion later in life, social media has opened up an incredibly supportive art community across the world. 

Since 2014, she balances a part time role in local government and being a watercolour artist and tutor specialising in Islamic geometric design and manuscript illumination. Every day brings new techniques and mediums to develop and explore new opportunities. She is largely self-taught, complimented with courses at the Princes Foundation School of Traditional Arts, Sacred Art of Geometry and other international study. She has sold artwork internationally and led workshops for adults and children in the UK.