2025 Academic Year Short Course Review 「The Language of Nature: Design Motifs」

From Nov 4 to 15, "The Language of Nature: Design Motifs" short course was delivered by tutor Mahrukh Bashir in Yuan Centre, with supporting and translating by Tutor Assistant.  

In this course, students learned together about the art of creating traditional Islamic motifs inspired by the forms of nature, and the specific natural forms upon which stylised “Turkic Ottoman” design motifs derive. They were also engaged in practical study of traditional Islamic painting techniques, especially the art of manuscript illumination; in particular, they learned to prepare their own “shell gold” pigment made from 24-carat gold.

On top of that, students have also discussed and exchanged ideas with our tutor on the differences and connections between Chinese traditional painting and Islamic motifs and painting techniques.

The first week, our students learned the basics of traditional Islamic illumination with guidance from Mahrukh, including preparation for paper, shell gold, stylised flower motifs design principles, as well as some drawing and painting techniques with hand exercises in both pencil and brush.

The second week, our students continued studying the painting techniques of traditional Islamic illumination and finished their practice illumination with shell gold. They also designed a composition with their own stylised biomorphic motifs for the very first time.

During the class, Mahrukh took our students out of the classroom for a field trip to a local heritage source - the ruins of the Twin Pagodas in Suzhou.

The stone pillars that still remain at the site are embossed with delicate and lively motifs such as peonies, Chinese peonies and other flowers, and various figures of children hidden inside.

Together they did their first observation drawings under the autumn ginkgo trees, and experienced the beauty of the biomorphic motifs, which later became an inspiration for their creation.