FARID AZIZ

Story of An Artist

FARID AZIZ

Farid Aziz is an Aerospace engineer who was born in Nairobi, Kenya and currently works and resides in Ottawa, Canada. Farid was a recipient of the International scholarship to study Aeronautics/Aerospace engineering in the United Kingdom. After completing his undergraduate education in the UK, he moved to Canada and re-join his recently immigrated family in Ottawa. He has spent the last 25 years working or leading multi-million dollar International Space, Military and Telecommunications projects in the Private and Public sectors. Farid is the recipient of 5 US and Canadian Patents in the Telecommunication Field. Farid’s professional work has been fortunate to afford him travel worldwide.

Farid’s love for fine art was realized growing up in Kenya. He was strongly influenced by his Art teacher (Mr. Njoroge) and inspired by his father's art work (who was an untrained artist and painted using Oil paints on glass!). Farid wanted to pursue fine art as Career but his guidance at school in Kenya advised him on high probability of unable to "feed his family". His art teacher was highly disappointed and so was Farid. Farid’s favorite artist is wildlife artist extraordinaire David Shephard, Carl Brenders and WWII aircraft artist Barrie Clark. Farid is self-taught and encouraged to pursue and continue his art by his family, father and school art teacher.

Farid favorite medium is pencil, watercolors and acrylics. In addition, Farid loves penmanship and calligraphy.

VINCENT VAN GOGH

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FARID_AZIZ_OTTAWA_CANADA_ART_GALLERY_FIN

JANUARY 2018

Sema is short for “Semazen” refers to the Sufi practice of whirling to try to experience through active meditation the meaning and essence of the words from the Holy Qur'an: "To God belong the East and the West, and wherever you turn is the face of God. He is the All-Embracing, the All-Knowing" (Surah Baqara 2:115). This ritual and esoteric journey by the mystics began from the influence of Turkish culture through the inspiration of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi.
This art piece incorporates two of the creative prompts Time and Devotion.
It is this mystical devotion that conveys the Sufis love for God and the Sufi’s of the Mevlevi order exemplify in the search for an esoteric connection to God. This art piece conveys the Sufis’ devotion to achieve an esoteric state where human form becomes a vessel or bridge to a higher state of Consciousness and hence each hand of the Mevlevi is depicted in non-descriptive or form. Many Mevlevi Sufis explain that that when they are in state of trance its feels like floating or levitation on air and hence the art piece does not show form below the hip. The extension of gradient painted trail of the “Sikke” or Sufi hat in the art work relays the act of whirling or motion, which the Mevlevis Sufis can do continuously for many hours without getting dizzy or nauseous.
The second creative prompt of time relates to two aspects of the Sema, one in its current and persistent practice from 13th century to current time that has been retained by the Mevlevi order of the Sufi’s for over 8 centuries. Secondly and more significantly to me is the ability of the “whirling dervish” to lose all sense of time in this meditative or trance state. I keep the art piece in almost and monochrome with the exception of the Sikke to try and convey the simplicity and purity of this tradition in Sufi Shia Islam.

MARCH 1989

TBC

DECEMBER 1994

My first Oil and from a picture I took while I lived near a beautiful Mennonite town in Southern Ontario called St. Jacobs. The Weekend markets in St Jacobs are rich is Mennonite culture and "exotic" home made pies and condiments and wonderful handcrafted art.