Artists
Margi Lake
Artist
Groningen, The Netherlands
Statement
My artworks are inspired by traditional geometric patterns from Islamicate lands. Since 2014 I’ve been studying traditional compass and straightedge pattern construction methods with world-renowned masters in the UK and on location in the Islamic world. My lifelong interest in late Platonism, Hermeticism, Sufism and the world’s wisdom traditions finds expression in my art, and my approach to the creative process of researching, drawing and painting these patterns resonates with those traditions. My palettes reflect a love of harmony, balance, symmetry, translucence, ancient patinas, minerals, gemstones, and the dynamic interplay between light and shadow.
Artworks
“Man contains the whole universe in his being: that is why he is called the unifier of multiplicity, the macrocosm.”
This complex dual-level eightfold geometrical pattern is defined by the many micro- and macro-level elements in the design. It is a scaled-down version of a tile-work design found on the entrance portico of the Jameh Mosque in Yazd, a jewel of early XV century Persian (mostly Timurid) architecture which I visited in 2015. Initially, just one quarter of the pattern was constructed on A2 drawing paper using compass and straightedge before tessellating the design on watercolour paper. The indigo, turquoise and gold palette is found throughout Central Asia.
Medallion comprising an interlaced geometrical design of octagons and 7-pointed stars constructed on an orthogonal grid. A late XV century example of this pattern is found on a carved stone relief panel on the Amir Qijmas mosque in Cairo (Mamluk era CE 1498/AH 903). The repeat unit construction was drawn using a compass and straightedge. The biomorph designs are based on traditional Mamluk era decorative elements and the palette was inspired by Chrysocolla and Turquoise gemstones.