أَوَ لَمْ يَرَوْاْ إِلَى مَا خَلَقَ اللّهُ مِن شَيْءٍ يَتَفَيَّأُ ظِلاَلُهُ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَالْشَّمَآئِلِ سُجَّدًا لِلّهِ وَهُمْ دَاخِرُونَ
‘Do they not observe the things that God has created, casting their shadows right and left, submitting [lit. prostrating] themselves to God obediently?’
These three prayer mats have been designed and tufted by Sofia Niazi specifically for staff and visitors of Whitechapel Gallery to use to perform their prayers.
The designs are inspired by a verse from the Qur’an (Surah al-Nahl, verse 48) and depict shadows from around Whitechapel Gallery cast by artworks and architectural elements of the building.
The mats are individually titled:
Time [main colour green], hung on display
To [main colour blue], available for use
Pray [main colour pink], available for use
While these mats have been made primarily for Muslims, who make up 40% of Tower Hamlets’ population, people of all faiths are welcome to use them for worship, meditation, reflection or rest.
Please remove your shoes before using the mats. The underside of each mat contains a label with guidance on its orientation.
The mats can be used in any suitable space in the Gallery. Please return them to the Study Studio after use, or hand them to a member of Gallery staff. All visitors are invited to view the mats as works of art.
Visitors who would like to use the prayer mats should enquire at the Gallery’s front desk.
Sofia Niazi is an artist and educator working across painting, textiles, printmaking, and publishing. She is a founding member of artist collective OOMK, who publish works exploring art, politics, and faith. Along with Rose Nordin and Heiba Lamara (OOMK), she currently runs Rabbits Road Press, a community Risograph printing press in Newham, London.
