Studio Inspiration: Islamic Geometric Design

Last year I was in Amsterdam - I had never been before.  It's a fantastic city with so much to do and see and so many interesting, quirky shops.  Some friends and I had a great time wandering around for a day with no map or plan, just soaking up the vibes and wandering in anywhere we thought looked interesting.  Completely by accident, we went to an earth-shatteringly good bookstore Architectura & Natura - which carries (and publishes) books about Architecture, Design, Landscape Architecture and so forth.  If you go to Amsterdam - I can't recommend it enough, I could have spent a thousand dollars and filled a suitcase with books while there.

One of the books I did walk away with was Islamic Geometric Design by Eric Broug. 

What really caught my eye about the book is that it's written for designers or artists who want to really dive into how geometric patterns and motifs are constructed in Islamic Art and Architecture.

It's been a great way for me to stretch my brain and explore constructing motifs in a different way.  Next, I'll be working on incorporating some of my experiments from the book with my existing forays into block printing - which is a way that I fool around and develop designs quite a bit.  Check back for pictures and more on those experiments, but until then, let's enjoy some images from Eric's book.....

Enameled Earthenware fragment from Konya, Turkey

Upper section of the mihrab in the complex of Mamluk Emirs Salar and Sanjar, Cairo Egypt

Wooden Panel Ceiling of the sabil-kuttab of 'Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda in Cairo, Egypt

Complex of Sultan Barquq in Cairo, Egypt

Qil'a-i Kuhna Mosque in Delhi, India

Segment on the portal of the khanqah of the shrine complex of 'Abd al-Samad in Natanz, Iran