God Grows on Trees

Artist Statement

God Grows on Trees consists of 99 portraits of children studying in madrasahs across Pakistan whom I photographed and painted. It also includes a large digital print.

The God of Islam has 99 names, which are recited, and represented in calligraphy throughout the Islamic world in media ranging from paper, to precious metal, to walls of public buildings, even onto tree trunks. In the globalized marketplace, 99 is equally ubiquitous in the universal consciousness as the psychologically critical pricing point found on price tags, posters and TV advertisements.

God Grows on Trees seeks to speak at once about religion, fear, hope, humanity, love and commoditisation.


2009

This project was part of Sharjah Biennial 9