Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh (السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ) – May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be with you and also, ahlan w sahlan (you are family.
A scientist by day and wood cutter at night, my name is Zena and I am the human behind Zena’s Artistry – Illuminating The Sacred. I hold a PhD in molecular biology – so a curiosity and passion for the DNA in cells and the “DNA of life” in general!
Zena’s Artistry began in 2022 during the second COVID lockdown, when, in the many moments of overwhelmedness (remember those mental health walks?!) I would repeat “La hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil a’aliyyil adheem” (لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّٰهِ ٱلْعَلِيِّ ٱلْعَظِيمِ), which translates to mean “All Power and Strength comes from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) and humans are solely dependent on His Grace” and I had a thought – why can’t I choose my favourite Qu’ranic verse as a decorative piece of art and visual reminder? This set my creative journey in motion and in the moments between work and life, I started a self-taught path in design, laser cutting and 3D printing.
Designed in Palestine, handmade by me in Australia, my intention is that my pieces serve as a form of Dhikr – a reminder of The Sacred with the profits from the pieces to insha’Allah be used for social projects through a waqf.
At the core of everything has always been my deep affinity, love, and wonder for the profoundness and wisdom of Islam. More than anything I am grateful I am Muslim. It is my anchor in this world as well as my blueprint for how to live and the key to unlocking understanding in literally everything I think and do. That was also why more than just decor, I wanted my creations to serve as a means of Dhikr – reminders of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) – mirrors of introspection but also windows to the cosmos – blending Islamic concepts with deep contemplation of the universe and life’s mysteries. Still, even then, there have been moments when I wanted to give up – I didn’t think was good enough, “artist” enough, I didn’t think I could convert my hobby into a business, and even if I could, was I up to the challenge and a thousand other self doubting beliefs. However, two beliefs were louder and kept me going :
1. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) seeded these ideas in my head for a reason and nothing is random and nothing is a coincidence and for that reason alone, I should see the idea through.
2. The idea that through working with Palestinian artists, even though we are 10, 000 km away from each other, I could be a means Rizq for them and them for me! (Rizq often refers to income but also encompasses intangible blessings including health, knowledge, happiness, friends and family).
This is why my intention is working towards Zena’s Artistry eventually putting 100% of all profits towards a waqf. I have a number of social projects in mind that, insha’Allah, will be a sadaqa jariyah – a perpetual charity – for the Palestinian artists both alive and martyred, myself, & everyone who buys my pieces. My first project will be to 3D print prosthetics for the Gazan children that have had limbs amputated. But a few ideas I have are microloans, housing and looking after widows and orphans, schools for animal therapy shelters, supplying women with tools they need to start their own business (eg sewing machine and material!). We can make our Dunayh (worldly life) and our Akhirah (after life) beautiful!
I am going to try to keep a blog – to write all my amusing musings – my a-musing!
Even though I was born in Australia, I am also a very proud Lebanese woman! My aim in to showcase Arab culture, Islamic calligraphy, Arab inventions, food and knowledge one blog post at a time. Arabs do not need to keep humanising themselves to avoid being demonised, however, it is good to remind people that Arabs built the foundational blocks of many fields – including mathematics, science, medicine, and engineering, with some notable inventions and advancements such as the scientific method, mathematics (including geometry and algebra), hospitals (including advancements in surgery) and astronomy. Additionally, Arabs are credited with the invention of the windmill, coffee (where would we be without coffee!), pasta, flatbread and the concept of universities.
There is always some simple idea or impossible thought keeping the mice in my brain running on their wheels. If you have any thoughts, interesting facts or have seen something beautiful please do share! Or drop me a line to say hello! I’d love to hear from you 🙂