Inspired by the contemplative experience of gazing at the star-filled night sky, a view that fills me with a profound sense of oneness and expansion, I create organic mandalas that explore our connection to the cosmos, the natural world and the self.

Through the interplay of light and darkness, my work maps the relationship between the Zāhir (manifest) and Bāṭin (hidden). These drawings emerge as my subconscious reaches into Al-Ghaib, (the unseen). By using the reflective qualities of chrome ink, the pieces function as mirrors, as they create space for the viewer’s own inner universe to surface, sparking a silent a dialogue between the observer and the hidden realms of creation.

My drawings are brought back to their primordial basics: dots and lines. In Sufi cosmology, the dot (nuqṭa) represents the ultimate singularity, or the source of all existence. The line (khaṭṭ) is that original point in motion, extending outward to create the physical universe. Over time, the central dot in my work has migrated away from the exact middle of the page, so that any point could be the source of the cosmic origin. By weaving these elements together, I map the journey of creation from a single inward point into infinite outward expansion, positioning the dot as this doorway to the infinite.

The gradual addition of three-dimensional materials mark an evolution in my practice, merging the second dimension with the third. This blends the abstract subconscious, unbound by space and time, with the tangible physicality of the self existing within it.

However, our human perception of ultimate Reality (Haqīqah) is naturally limited. The inclusion of broken glass visually represents the fractured, broken self, beautifully echoing Rumi’s reflection:

“The truth was a mirror in the hands of God. It fell and broke into pieces. Everybody took a piece of it, and they looked at it and thought they had the truth”.

Similarly, the use of dried flowers, a material that will inevitably fade, acknowledge the passage of time. They serve as a meditation on impermanence and mortality held within the tradition of memento mori, while simultaneously mirroring the Sufi concept of fanā’—the ego's necessary fading and annihilation. Through this decay, the temporary outer form dissolves, allowing the eternal, inner essence to finally remain.

04, 2022

Inside The Belly Of The Beast V3 2022, The Steamship PS, London

Curated by The Art Playground_Ldn

Materials: Acrylic, Glass, Pigment Ink

Enquire

©Izna Bandey

05, 2022

Materials: Dried Flowers, Glass, Acrylic, Chrome Ink

Dimensions: 210mmx29mm

Here, I am playing with textures that resemble skin and natural patterns, combined with dried flowers that will gradually fade—symbolising both immortality and the passage of time. The dots are subtle and scattered as well as the pieces of broken glass.

Enquire

©Izna Bandey

Sad, 2022

Materials: Dried Flower, Glass, Acrylic, Chrome Ink

Dimensions: 210mmx29mm

Composed entirely of lines, featuring a solitary withering flower, shards of broken glass, and a partially three dimensional black acrylic backdrop.

Enquire

©Izna Bandey

Amour, 2022

Materials: Acrylic, Dried Rose Bud, Pigment Ink, Chrome Ink

Dimensions: 210mmx297mm

The dried rose, symbolic of love stands as the focal point of the piece surrounded by white and chrome dots and lines.

Enquire

©Izna Bandey

Untitled, 2022

Medium: Drawing

Materials: Pigment ink, acrylic, chrome ink

Dimensions Framed: 24cmx20cm

Enquire

©Izna Bandey